Showers swept San Diego County overnight and into Saturday morning, producing conditions likely to leave local mountains dusted with fresh snow.
The third storm in this week's series touched down in San Diego's North County early Saturday morning. As the band of rain made its way southeast, NBC 7's Dagmar Midcap forecasted that showers would increase in intensity.
The storm system was expected to have a similar pattern to its two predecessors with one exception: this system would likely bring fresh snow to lower-elevation mountains, Midcap said.
Blustery conditions in the mountains prompted the National Weather Service to issue a winter weather advisory at 5 p.m. Friday, in effect through 5 p.m. Sunday. Snowfall is possible at elevations 4,000 feet and above.
Popular Southern California snow resorts, like Snow Valley, Big Bear and Snow Summit resorts, received anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of snow at elevations above 7,200 feet, according to the NWS.
Blustery conditions in the mountains are expected to pick up in the evening as wind gusts reach 55 miles per hour, the NWS said.
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Midcap said travel to and in the mountains is not recommended until after the advisory expires.
With cold weather and heavy rain overnight, Father Joe's Villages opened additional shelters for 250 homeless San Diegans at two facilities in downtown San Diego.
The NWS service said the heaviest rainfall within a 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Saturday was tracked in North County.
Coastal cities like Carlsbad and La Jolla received about three-quarters of an inch of rain while inland valleys like Vista and Escondido each received about .66 inches of rain.
Palomar Mountain was drenched with more than an inch of rain.
As locals woke up Saturday morning, the scattered showers persisted. Midcap said a chance for short bursts of rain would last throughout the day.
"This system will rapidly clear up, pushing to the southeast, but we will be left with a few lingering clouds [Saturday]," Midcap said.
Showers may return Saturday evening to dampen any St. Patrick’s Day plans.
In all, the system is expected to bring about a half-inch of rain to San Diego’s coast and inland valleys. Heavier showers may bring the mountain areas up to 5 inches of rain or snow.