A mild winter storm brought gentle rains and increased winds to the San Diego area Thursday, ushering in another round of inclement weather as the new year gets off to a wet start.
The modest showers were expected to continue through the afternoon and evening before tapering off overnight and ceasing altogether by sunrise Friday, meteorologists said.
As of 11:15 a.m., the unsettled atmospheric system had dropped anywhere from a few hundredths of an inch to about one-third of an inch of moisture along the coast, up to one-tenth through the inland valleys and as much as a quarter-inch or so in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service. No precipitation was recorded in local desert locales over the period.
A mountain-area wind advisory warning of sustained air currents of 30 to 40 mph with gusts as high as 50 mph was slated to remain in effect until 4 a.m. Friday. The blustery spell may make for difficult driving along the Interstate 8 corridor, forecasters cautioned.
The storm will leave behind partly cloudy skies and largely dry conditions into next week, though there will be slight chances of more rain in some areas Saturday and Monday, the NWS reported.
