A mid-week storm is bringing measurable rain to San Diego County with the most significant rainfall occurring during the morning commute Wednesday.
Drivers are cautioned to take it slow on the road for the morning, as the commute to work is expected to be a slippery one. Gusty south winds will be coupled with the inclement weather and may travel at speeds of up to 30 mph in parts of the county.
Amid the storm, State Route 78 was shut down in both directions in Carlsbad near El Camino Real due to flooding, Caltrans announced around 7 a.m. The agency did not say when the highway would reopen.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) dispatch reported several car crashes across the county. A multi-vehicle crash was reported just before 5 a.m. on northbound 1-15 near Carmel Mountain Ranch. In Kearny Mesa, an ambulance was requested after a vehicle hydroplaned while traveling on westbound SR-52 around 7 a.m. And in Eastlake, emergency personnel responded to a report of a sedan that spun out, overturned and ended up on an embankment off southbound SR-125.
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The severity of the injuries suffered by people who were involved in the incidents was not immediately clear.
The National Weather Service (NWS) predicted North County's coastal areas could receive up to 3 inches of rain by the time the storm passes. This area could also experience rainfall at a rate of .8 inches per hour, making flooding possible Wednesday morning.
Further south and inland, an inch to two inches of rain is possible. Mountain communities won't see any snow from this system, according to NBC 7 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen. However, they could receive up to 5 inches of rain at the highest peaks like Palomar Mountain.
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NWS issued a flood advisory for San Diego County that will remain in effect through 8 a.m. It warns the following areas may be impacted: Chula Vista, El Cajon, National City, La Mesa, Poway,
Imperial Beach, Ramona, Coronado, Del Mar and Alpine.
These wet conditions will make for what Parveen described as a “decent soaking,” but they won’t last the whole day, though.
“We’ll still see the heavy rain (around 9 a.m.), but some of the areas will start to see some of the rain taper off a bit,” Parveen said.
As the day progresses, the weather will get dry and the storm will pass.
“We’re going to see the rain taper off this afternoon even more, so we’ll start to dry off the second half of the day especially,” Parveen said.
More rain is taking aim for San Diego County, with the next chance for an offshore storm possible Friday through this weekend. Mid-next week, yet another storm could make its way to the region and may potentially deliver snow to our mountains.
