Scattered Showers Fall as Storm Loses Steam; Mud Slide Fears Eased

An offshore storm system that threatened to dump two inches of rain at Palomar Mountain--a fear that put emergency crews and downstream residents on standby watch for mud slides and flash floods--failed to materialize on Saturday, bringing instead just brooding skies and a few scattered showers.

Some rain was predicted to fall overnight but the storm was expected to peter out by midday today, giving way to partly cloudy skies and higher temperatures, according to WeatherData, which provides forecasts for The Times.

The heaviest rainfall Saturday fell at Mt. Laguna, which recorded 0.68 inch of rain by 4 p.m. Campo received 0.30 of rain and Santee got 0.20.

In contrast, only 0.09 inch of rain fell at already rain-saturated Palomar Mountain--a mere fraction of what had been feared, according to the National Weather Service.

Above Normal

Rainfall at Lindbergh Field measured 0.02 inch, bringing the season’s total to date to 1.69 inches, more than an inch above normal for the young season.

National Weather Service forecaster Harvey Hastrup said the storm system split in half southwest of San Diego, with some of it spinning south of San Diego and dumping its cargo in Arizona, and the balance stalling offshore.

A weak high pressure system will help break up the rain clouds and bring warmer weather today and Monday, the National Weather Service said.

Saturday’s high at Lindbergh Field was 72 degrees. The high was expected to reach 73 today and 75 Monday.

Command Post Disbanded

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department reacted to the news of the weakened storm by disbanding a command post in Pauma Valley at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Emergency crews had been on standby because of fear of renewed flash flooding and mud slides off the mountain, which had been denuded of erosion protection by fires earlier this month.

On Thursday, a mud slide heavily damaged the offices of the Yuima Water District and forced the closure of parts of California 76 below the southwestern slopes of Palomar Mountain.