More rain on the way for another weekend
By: Robert Krier

Sunshine may be in short supply again this week. A series of progressively wetter storms is expected to take the county from a little bit wet, to wetter, to very wet on yet another weekend.

Clouds are expected to begin rolling in this afternoon, and by late in the day or early tomorrow, sprinkles or light showers are possible.

The first storm “looks really puny,” said National Weather Service forecaster Steve Vanderburg. A replay of the middle of last week, when most areas west of the mountains got just a couple of hundredths of an inch of rain, is likely, he said.

By late tomorrow, the next system is forecast to move into the region. That one should be a little bit stronger, but most of the energy will be to the north, Vanderburg said. Light rain is most likely Thursday morning. Less than a quarter of an inch is expected west of the mountains.

The timing of the next storm, the biggest of the lot, is difficult to pin down, Vanderburg said. Rain could begin early Saturday or late Saturday. Either way, it would be the sixth weekend out of the last eight when rain has fallen in the region.

Rainfall totals could be similar to last weekend’s storm, when coastal and inland valley areas recorded around an inch, and the mountains got two inches. The storm is projected to be much colder, with the snow level dropping to around 4,000 feet.

Lindbergh Field, San Diego’s official weather station, has recorded 8.06 inches of rain this season. Normal at the end of February is 7.47.

Water guides available for smart landscaping

A free, full-color guide, “Nifty-50: Plants for Water Smart Landscapes,” is available at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon and at participating nurseries.

The brochure is part of a regional push to reduce the amount of water used for landscaping.

It highlights 50 plant varieties that thrive in San Diego County’s semiarid climate, including shrubs, perennials, grasses and ground covers.

Featured species also are displayed at the garden, and they can be viewed online at thegarden.org.

“The list narrows the choices to some especially good performers that are fairly easy to find to help people get started,” said Marty Eberhardt, executive director of the conservation garden.