Storm to Fade Today; More Rain Possible Sunday

The spring storm that darkened and drenched San Diego on Thursday afternoon, will pour more heavy rains this morning, then taper off in the afternoon, forecasters said.

“I wouldn’t downplay this storm,” said Wilbur Shigehara, chief of San Diego’s National Weather Service bureau.

The storm is expected to cause street flooding and “all kinds of problems in the mudslide area” in Spring Valley, Shigehara said.

Rain is expected to fall in torrents this morning, with periodic showers this afternoon, the forecaster said.

On Saturday, the showers are supposed to stop, though skies will remain partly cloudy.

In all, up to an inch of rain is expected in the coastal areas, and nearly 2 inches are forecast for the mountains.

Also, there is a chance of rain Sunday afternoon, if a squall that is now north of Hawaii swings south.

The National Weather Service issued an urban flood advisory on Thursday afternoon, which will remain in effect until this afternoon. The advisory is a warning that heavy rains will flood streets and intersections. It also warned of possible mudslides.

According to Shigehara, today’s storm should be the “last of the big ones.” He said that two storms--including the potential one Sunday--are on the agenda for next week, but that neither of them would be as strong as today’s.

The Pacific storm track seems to be shifting north, which is usual for spring, Shigehara said.

After today’s storm departs, road watchers expect the number of potholes around the county to increase.

“Our maintenance workers get plenty of pothole calls a day or two after the rains,” said Olga Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for Caltrans. “We try to fix them as soon as possible.”

Caltrans said potholes should be reported to its office at 688-6699.

Temperatures will stay cool throughout the county this weekend, Shigehara said. At the beaches, the highs will be near 65 this weekend.

In the coastal and inland areas the high temperatures are expected to remain in the upper 60s all weekend. The lows this weekend in both areas will be in the low 50s, he said.

The forecast for the mountains calls for a high of 48 today, warming to 50 on the weekend. The low will be near 35 degrees all weekend in the mountains, Shigehara said.