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State Reservoirs Nearing Historical Averages For This Time Of Year

After several weeks of dry weather, heavy rain returned to California and the Bay Area, giving our reservoirs and snow pack a needed boost. As of early Monday morning, the seven reservoirs used by the East Bay Municipal Utility District are holding a total of just over 600,000 acre feet of water — that’s about 78 percent of full capacity. The Lafayette Reservoir is currently 69 percent full. In the South Bay, the Santa Clara Valley Water District reservoirs are on average about 28 percent full.

Rivers In The Sky: What You Need To Know About Atmospheric River Storms

The rainy season is well underway in California: Roughly 90 percent of the Golden State’s precipitation typically falls during the months of October through April. While drought has bedeviled the state in recent years, there’s evidence that the wet season is actually getting wetter. If you live on the West Coast, you may hear the term “atmospheric river” thrown around. These massive, fast-moving storm systems can transport more than 25 times the moisture as flows through the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Skies Clear After Weekend Storm Drenches San Diego County

Skies cleared Sunday after a Pacific storm drenched much of San Diego County over the weekend, making way for a drier, but still cool week, forecasters said. The latest system dropped more than an inch of rain at Palomar Mountain and Lake Cuyamaca, and nearly an inch at Lake Henshaw, according to Sunday rainfall totals. San Diego International Airport reported 0.9 of an inch of rain, pushing its seasonal total to 5.3 inches, almost two inches above average.

2018 In San Diego: Mostly Dry And Warm; What Does 2019 Hold?

San Diego’s weather in 2018 was almost uniformly warm and dry. Until late in the year, when it was neither. 2019 begins with its own personality: cool days and cold nights, with a couple of storms over the next week that should get the month off to a fairly wet start. Rain is expected to begin Saturday night and continue off and on through Sunday evening. Another storm should arrive Wednesday or Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. That’s quite a change from the bulk of 2018 — until December arrived.

 

Weekend Storm Could Bring Up To A Half-Inch Of Rain To San Diego

A fast-moving storm could bring 0.25 inches to 0.50 inches of rain to San Diego this weekend, along with a dusting of snow to the county’s highest mountain peaks. The National Weather Service says the system will blow ashore late Saturday and could produce scattered rain before midnight. But the heaviest rain will fall overnight and into the morning hours. Inland valleys and foothills are more likely to receive between 0.50’’ inches and 1 inch of rain. The daytime highs will be on the cool side: 62 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.

Storm Departs Leaving Cool, Dry Weather

A Christmas Eve winter storm drenching Holiday Bowl fans and dropping varying amounts of rain countywide — and snow in the mountains above 4,000 feet — has departed leaving cool, dry conditions, the National Weather Service said Tuesday. “A very dry, continental air mass has now moved in,” NWS forecaster Joe Dandrea said. “Amounts were anywhere from a trace, to a few hundredths of an inch to as much as a half-inch or more,” he said. “Snow fell down to about 3,500 feet.” Rainfall amounts were about half an inch in Lakeside and Lemon Grove. El Cajon received 0.64 of an inch. Palomar Mountain got 0.77 of an inch.

2018 Another Dry Year for California

As the Golden State moves into 2019, it will close the book on an abnormally dry year with hopes that a few rain storms can stave off the prospect of another drought. Two consecutive years of devastating wildfires killing dozens of residents, causing billions in property damage and reducing millions of acres to ash has demonstrated the effects of the prolonged drought stretching from 2012 until 2017. Storms finally brought much-needed precipitation in 2017, replenishing reservoirs and aquifers, but the moisture content in the forest vegetation and the swathes of dead trees in the Sierra Nevada attest to the consequences of the sustained dry weather.

Wind Replaces Wet as San Diego County Welcomes the New Year

2018 went out wet in San Diego County. 2019 comes in windy. Strong winds are expected in the county mountains from early morning New Year’s Day through early afternoon, with some spots seeing gusts of 45 mph. The inland valleys could see 25 mph gusts Tuesday, and 15 mph gusts are possible at the coast. The winds, which are coming out of the northeast, are expected to be much stronger in the San Bernardino and Orange County mountains, where gusts could reach 65 mph. Blustery conditions are forecast for the Rose Parade in Pasadena on Tuesday morning.

Gusty Winds May Raise Wildfire Risk Over Southern California Into Friday

A period of moderate Sundowner winds will rattle coastal areas of Southern California into early Friday. Gusts to 45 mph are likely with the potential for a few locally higher gusts from parts of Santa Barbara County to just north and west of Los Angeles. Gusts will be strong enough to make for difficult travel with lightweight and high-profile vehicles. The combination of dry air and gusty winds will raise the risk of wildfire ignition and quick spread of any existing fires.

Christmas Storm Drops Significant Rain Across Inland Areas, As Well As A Little Snow

A fast moving Pacific storm blew through San Diego County on Christmas Day, dropping an inch or more of rain in some areas while also producing snow furries in Julian and the local mountains. The system had largely moved off to the east by 4 p.m. Tuesday, though forecasters said sporadic showers were possible Tuesday night. Here is a sample of the 24-hour rainfall totals through 5 p.m. Tuesday: Julian, 1.51’’; Lake Cuyamaca, 1.42”; Pine Hills, 1.10”; Ramona, 1.06”; Descanso, 1.03”; Henshaw Dam, 0.80”; Santee, 0.65”; Fallbrook, 0.62”; Alpine, 0.53”; San Marcos, 0.52”; San Diego International Airport, 0.18”.