San Diego County

Winter Storm Brings Rain, Snow to San Diego County Mountains, Closes Schools

Palomar Mountain could get as much as 4 inches of snow by Sunday night, according to the NWS

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A winter storm is moving into the county Sunday bringing rain, wind and snow to our mountains, the National Weather Service said.

The NWS even issued a Winter Storm Warning for the San Diego County mountains including Julian and Pine Valley from 1 p.m. Sunday until Tuesday 10 a.m.

Due to the inclement weather, County school officials closed all of the following school districts for Monday and will have a late start on Tuesday:

  • Julian Union High School District
  • Julian Union Elementary School District
  • Spencer Valley School District
  • Mountain Empire Unified School District
  • Warner Unified School District

Damage to trees and power lines is possible. If you must travel, plan to do so under difficult travel conditions, and keep an extra flashlight, blanket, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency, the NWS said.

A Wind Advisory will also be in effect for the desert areas starting this afternoon through Monday morning.

Sunday morning will be cloudy with shower chances starting around 7 a.m. and continuing throughout the day, primarily over the coast and valleys. These chances will spread throughout the region and into the mountains as the day continues, said NBC 7's meteorologist Brooke Martell.

According to the National Weather Service, the residents of Julian, which has an altitude north of 4,000 feet or so, can expect rain (a 60% chance) with possible snow showers after 5 p.m. on Sunday. While it will be mostly breezy in the mountain community, gusts during the daytime could reach as high as 35 mph. That chance increases to 80% through Monday at 5 p.m., with total snowfall expected to be less than half an inch, according to the NWS. Snow could possibly continue falling through Tuesday, the NWS forecasted.

And higher up? Palomar Mountain, which peaks out at 6,142 feet, is often the wettest, snowiest place in the county. The NWS forecasts 2-4 inches of snow by Sunday night, with fresh accumulations Monday between 3-5 inches. And the mercury will plummet as well, down to 32 degrees on Sunday night and a brisk low of 28 the following evening.

While no snow is in the forecast for Palomar for the rest of the week, the cold will linger, with highs not reaching 49 degrees till Thursday.

And what will it be like for the lowlanders? Starting on Saturday, a coastal eddy could produce some marine layer in the morning hours around the county. Elsewhere, daytime highs will mostly be in the 60s along the coast and inland, with a few inland valley locations in the low 70s. Mountain communities will be in the 50s during the daytime.

The whole storm system will hang around through Tuesday afternoon, but the precipitation will wrap up by Tuesday morning. The rest of the week will be dry.

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