San Diego will get a dose of wet snow, heavy rainfall and possible flooding over the coming days as the next storm system moves into the region Wednesday night, but drier days are ahead, forecasters say.
"This next storm coming is going to bring a lot of rain and the snow levels in the mountains today are going to be a little bit higher and some of that snow is going to turn into rain," NBC 7 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen said.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for elevations above 5,000 feet until 4 p.m. Wednesday, a downgrade from a previously-issued winter weather warning.
During the winter weather advisory, wet snow up to 2 to 4 inches could create slippery road conditions.
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Mountains above 4,500 feet could see a few inches of snow but the heaviest snowfall is expected at elevations above 6,000 feet, where a foot of snow or more could fall.
Snow chains are already required for drivers on Palomar Mountain and Mount Laguna.
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The rest of the county should brace for heavy rainfall with the possibility of localized flooding late Wednesday into Thursday afternoon. A flood watch is in effect during this time.
"Tonight, that next storm approaches. We're going to see more rain, especially into tomorrow morning. Looks like we should have pretty heavy rain early in the day tomorrow, which could lead to localized flooding," Parveen said.
Before the full power of the storm reaches San Diego County by early Thursday, it will bring scattered showers Wednesday afternoon.
This storm by Friday could bring up to 1.5 inches of rain along the coast and up to 2 inches for the mountains. The deserts could see anywhere from a half-inch to an inch of rain.
The storm will linger into Friday, but a clear we'll be clear with sunshine to start the new year, Meteorologist Dagmar Midcap said.
"Wow! What a way to start the new year on Saturday," Midcap said. "Bright blue skies with temps in the low 60s for the coast and valleys."
