By Miriam Raftery

March 5, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – A major storm system will bring strong winds and rain across our region, with heavy snow forecast starting tonight in East County mountains.  Mount Laguna could receive up to a foot of snow, with up to eight inches on Palomar Mountain and three inches in Julian by Friday morning. Heavy snow will make it difficult to travel above 4,000 feet in elevation.

In urban areas, flooding is possible.  El Cajon, La Mesa, and other areas are expected to receive up to an inch and a half of rain, the National Weather Service predicts.

Along the coast, a small craft advisory is in effect through Friday morning due to expected high surf and high seas.

East Count News Service

Photo courtesy of the City of La Mesa

January 23, 2024 (San Diego)--The County of San Diego is proclaiming a local emergency on behalf of the Board of Supervisors in anticipation that resources and assistance from the state and federal government may be needed because of damage caused by flooding from the storm January 22, 2024.

Residents and businessowners can submit their damages to https://crisistrack.juvare.com/public/sandiegoCA/request.html

A local proclamation communicates to the state that the County is anticipating significant impacts to both public and private property.

The San Diego National Weather Service office reported that Monday was the 5^th wettest day in San Diego since 1850.

By Jacob Pamus

February 27, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Near the end of February San Diego has experienced unusually high amounts of snow, rain, hail, and high winds.

This video by Jacob Pamus for East County Magazine explains what we've had to deal with so far and what is to come this upcoming week.

East County News Service

November 26, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – A winter storm watch has been issued for the National Weather Service from Wednesday at 4 a.m. through Friday at 10 p.m. for all mountain areas in San Diego County. There is also a flash flood watch for areas west of the mountains from Wed. at 4 a.m. through Thursday at 10 p.m.

Heavy mountain snow will bring hazardous travel conditions Wednesday through Friday, with accumulating snow down to 3,000 feet by Thanksgiving night.  Up to three feet could accumulate above 5,000 feet including Mt. Laguna and Palomar, with several inches at lower elevations.

By Miriam Raftery

February 15, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – Yesterday’s Valentine’s Day storm dropped 10.10 inches of snow on Palomar Mountain, breaking a record of 9.58 inches set way back in 1901. The storm also brought sweet relief to drought-stricken Borrego Springs, dropping 2.68 inches of rain on the desert community.  Other new records included Ramona with 4.02 inches, Campo with 3.75 inches, and Alpine with 2.94 inches.

Lillian Trautman of El Cajon sent in the video above, showing her El Cajon yard turned into a rushing torrent of water.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Robert Gehr, left:  El Cajon Library closed temporarily due to flooding.

December 7, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Storms over the past two days brought much needed rain to our region, up to 3 inches in some areas.  But the downpour also causing flash flooding in many areas.

Several cars became caught up in rushing water up to four feet in southeast county, where major flooding occurred on Otay Lakes Road by Pio Pico RV Park and also on Highway 94 between the Jamul Casino and Jamul Estates.  Jan Hedlun, a motorist delayed due to the flooding, says  that 45 minutes after Cal Trans closed the highway, “There was no one directing traffic or telling stranded travelers to turn around and find another way home, as there has been during priori events. “No signs were being posted to prevent people from coming down Highway 94.” She asks why CHP or Border Patrol agents were not brought in to assist and why funding has not been allocated to fix the roads/drainage in these two recurring trouble spots.

In El Cajon, the County Library is closed today due to damage inside caused by flooding. 

Thunder, lightning and power outages also occurred across the region due to the storm.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

December 24, 2016 (San Diego's East County)--Heavy snow is blanketing Mt. Laguna, with several inches reported in Boulevard.  Snow could dip to 3,000 feet tonight, with frost possible even in urban and suburban areas such as El Cajon and La Mesa tonight and tomorrow, according to forecaster Alex Tardy with the National Weather Service.

The storm, combined with accidents, has resulted in numerous accidents and other road hazards across our region.

By Miriam Raftery

July 22, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Today, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency for five southern California counties including San Diego due to damage from severe storms starting July 18 that caused “flash flooding, mudslides, and fires ignited by lightning strikes, resulting in damage to roads, highways, and other infrastructure and the evacuation of residents.” (Read the proclamation: http://gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=19049 )

The emergency declaration applies to Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernadino and San Diego Counties. 

Photos, left, by Kathleen Hedberg:  Storm cell swoops toward La Mesa

By Miriam Raftery

September 16, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A powerful storm lashed East County early Tuesday afternoon, causing major damage before moving across San Diego later in the day.  Thousands were left without power from at least 16 different outages in East County, SDG&E reported. Hardest hit areas included Rancho San Diego, Mt. Helix, La Mesa and Spring Valley.

Helix Water Board member Kathleen Hedberg captured dramatic images of the stormcell swooping toward her La Mesa home-- a downdraft from a thunderstorm that looked more like tornados seen in the Midwest than a typical southern California storm. Gusts of at least 50 miles per hour were reported, with coin-sized hailstones and sheets of rain pouring down.  It was all a result of Hurricane Odile which struck the Baja coast at 125 miles an hour, ,still packing a wallop by the time it reached our region.