Storm pounds San Diego County, showers to continue through Tuesday

SAN DIEGO - Intermittent periods of rain showers are expected to continue through Tuesday night, with significant accumulation of snow in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service.

Rain is expected to continue through this afternoon, then the third storm cell will bring lighter precipitation Monday morning through Tuesday, NWS meteorologist Stephanie Sullivan said, adding that the break between the final two storm cells is not expected to be as definitive as after the first.

On Saturday, rainfall totals of a half-inch to almost a full inch of rain an hour were recorded in northwest San Diego County, the NWS said. The ongoing rain could cause dangerous flooding in Oceanside, Carlsbad, Temecula, Vista, Encinitas, Del Mar, Fallbrook, Valley Center, Camp Pendleton, and parts of the San Diego city limits including University City, forecasters said.

According to the National Weather Service, Fallbrook received 1.77 inches of rain and 1.99 inches of rain fell in Bonsall in the past 24 hours.

A High Surf Advisory for San Diego County's coastal areas will remain in effect until 11 a.m. Monday.

Winds could reach 30 to 40 mph at San Diego International Airport.

Inland-valley areas were expected to get from 1 to 1.4 inches of rain as of this morning, while coastal areas would see around 1 inch, NWS meteorologists said. Between 1.4 and 2.2 inches was forecast for the county mountains and desert areas will get around a quarter-inch of rainfall.

"Low-water crossings in many areas will likely flood at some point as larger rivers and streams more quickly develop channel flow, including the San Diego River in Mission Valley,'' NWS forecasters said in a statement.