As a powerful El Nino storm arrived along San Diego's coastline, forecasters predicted potentially damaging surf, hail, snow and coastal flooding.
The leading edge of the cold front rolled over the county during the late stages of the morning commute and produced significant rainfall in a very short time from the coast, east to the foothills. The precipitation turned into snow in the mountains above 3,100-foot level.
El Nino Strikes Again
At 8:30 a.m., a eucalyptus tree fell in Rancho Santa Fe, blocking a main route. The tree fell at the intersection of Via de la Valle and Calzada del Bosque, north of Morgan Run.
In Rancho Bernardo, a large tree was reported down around 8:30 a.m. at Bernardo Heights Parkway and Paseo Lucido. Also, a large tree was blocking traffic outside the Estancia La Jolla Hotel Resort and Spa on North Torrey Pines Road.
Most of the rain thus far fell during this period. Tentative totals at midday range from a little more than a quarter of an inch at Lindbergh Field, San Diego’s official reporting station, to more than an inch in Oceanside but only a couple tenths of an inch in the south bay. Palomar Mountain was the wettest spot at 11 a.m. with 1.19” measured at Birch Hill. Keep in mind, by 10 a.m., the rain had turned over to snow in the higher elevations. Those totals likely won’t be available until later today or even early tomorrow morning.
NBC 7 received reports of hail falling in San Marcos, Tierrasanta, Fletcher Hills, Oceanside, Eastlake and Encinitas.
Suffice to say, it’s been a good winter storm, beneficial to a moisture-starved region. Unfortunately it didn’t last long enough and blew through too quickly to produce significant rainfall totals. Still, after one of the driest February’s in history, we can’t complain. And, there’s a good chance we’ll get a smaller, less intense storm early Saturday morning.
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