SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County residents should get a break Sunday after a relentless storm brought heavy snow and icy roads to the mountains and flooding elsewhere, leading to multiple road closures, authorities said.
Sunday's forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, isolated rain showers and westerly wind gusts of up to 45 mph in some areas with highs in the 40s to 60s.
A winter weather advisory is in place until noon Sunday for the mountains. In the desert areas, a wind advisory will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Sunday.
On Saturday, Caltrans San Diego said heavy snow caused the closure of northbound State Route 79 at Old Highway 80 in Descanso and eastbound State Route 78 in Santa Ysabel, except to area residents. The closures were to remain in place until road conditions improved.
Chains were required on Sunrise Highway starting at Old Highway 80, with the exception of four-wheel-drive vehicles with snow-tread tires.
Rain, heavy at times, continued intermittently across the county Saturday with gusty winds and some thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.
Flooding occurred in low-lying areas around the San Diego River. Both lanes of Mission Center Road in Mission Valley were closed between Friars Road and Camino De La Reina due to flooding.
Two people were rescued by lifeguards Saturday when their vehicle was trapped in flooding on Pacific Highway near the San Diego Airport. Lifeguards performed the rescues and the two people were assessed for injuries.
The Ocean Beach Pier remained closed after being damaged during storms and high surf earlier this year. The pier will remain closed until the damage can be assessed safely after the storm season has passed.
At times, traveling in the East County highlands "could be very difficult to impossible," the NWS warned.
Occasional rain and snow showers were expected to continue into Sunday morning as the cold storm center moves inland over Southern California.
The short break in the precipitation was predicted for Sunday afternoon through Monday morning, but a pair of disturbances moving onshore to the north could bring back rain and snow showers Monday afternoon through midweek.
It will remain cool all week, with daytime temperatures running well below average.
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