Showers Could Return Tonight : More Stormy Weather on Way to County

Rain-soaked San Diego County will barely have a chance to dry out today, as another storm from the Gulf of Alaska is expected to work its way down to Southern California by tonight.

While there is only a 10% chance of rain by late afternoon, there is a 30% chance of showers by tonight and a 50% chance by Tuesday morning, said meteorologist Mike Smith of WeatherData, which provides forecasts for The Times.

Like the storm that doused San Diego on Halloween, the approaching storm originated in the Gulf of Alaska, according to National Weather Service forecaster Harvey Hastrup. However, it is not expected to bring as much rain to the area as did Saturday’s storm, which dumped 0.60 of an inch at Lindbergh Field.

“There won’t be as much moisture in this storm because it’s been traveling over land,” Hastrup said. “So, as it travels southward, it won’t have that much of an opportunity to collect more moisture before reaching us.”

Rainfall Total Up

The total rainfall at Lindbergh Field for the season now stands at 2.52 inches, nearly four times the normal season-to-date figure of 0.66 of an inch, according to Smith.

Just as with Saturday’s storm, the National Weather Service will notify the crews at fire-denuded Palomar Mountain of what to expect from the storm as it gets closer to the San Diego area, Hastrup said. There were no slides because of the Saturday storm, authorities said.

“We’ll be in touch with the folks up at Palomar when the storm gets within 12 to 15 hours of us,” Hastrup said. “By then we’ll know approximately how much rain they can expect. We don’t want to run them ragged trying to guess what’s going to happen next.”