Rain to Break for Start of Spring

The final storm of the winter dropped more rain and snow on the already saturated and frosty San Diego area Monday before moving off to the east, just in time to make way for the arrival of spring.

Since early Saturday, the blustery system out of the Gulf of Alaska has kept the county chilled, soaked, icy and wind-whipped, creating conditions usually associated with December or January, rather than mid-March.

As of midday, the departing cloud banks had left behind three-day rain totals of up to 1 2/3 inches along the coast, 2 1/2 inches in some valley locales and 1 1/4 in the deserts, according to the National Weather Service.

In the mountains, snow drifts as deep as 18 inches accumulated, resulting this morning in campus closures in the Julian and Mountain Empire Unified school districts. In the far southeastern reaches of the region, icy conditions forced a closure of Interstate 8 in both directions from East Willows Road to Imperial Highway for about eight hours, starting about 1 a.m.

The frigid storm resulted in several local temperature records. Oceanside Harbor and Palomar Mountain experienced their lowest maximum thermometer readings -- 55 and 36 degrees, respectively -- for the date, while San Diego tied its March 19 record of 58 degrees.

The cloudbursts also resulted in some typical rainy-day chaos on local commuter routes. Between midnight and 3 p.m., the California Highway Patrol logged 104 accidents. Over a full day of fair weather, by comparison, the CHP typically responds to 50-75 crashes in the San Diego area.

A short warming trend is expected to kick in Tuesday, the first day of spring, and continue Wednesday. Thursday, however, will bring cooler temperatures and increasing clouds that could generate some light precipitation Sunday and early next week, forecasters said.

-City News Service