Rain Expected in San Diego County

Winter Weather

A cold storm is expected to bring significant snow showers and gusty winds to the San Diego County mountains Monday, and rainfall elsewhere in the region.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for areas above 3, 500 feet from 6 a.m. Monday to 3 a.m. Tuesday. A winter storm warning means severe weather conditions are expected or occurring.

The snow level will near 3,500 to 4,000 feet this morning and fall to 2,500 tonight, according to the Weather Service.

Affected areas include Boulevard, Cuyamaca, Descanso, Julian, Mount Laguna, Pine Valley and Ranchita.

The Weather Service forecast two to six inches of snow will accumulate above 3,500, with up to a foot of new snow above 4,500 feet.

The snow will be accompanied by 25- to 35-mph southwest-to-west winds, with gusts up to 60 miles per hour over ridges, according to the NWS.

Strong gusty winds also are expected in the local deserts. A high wind warning for the mountains and deserts is scheduled to expire at 3 a.m. Tuesday. The strongest winds are expected this afternoon and evening.

The Weather Service forecast visibility will be reduced to near zero at times because of blowing snow in the mountains and sand in the deserts.

"Residents and travelers into higher elevations in the mountains should be prepared for hazardous driving conditions due to slick roads and reduced visibility," according to a NWS advisory. "If possible, carry chains and take extra food and clothing. This weather could be deadly for unprepared campers or hikers."

Elsewhere in the county, a wind advisory for coastal and valley areas is scheduled to expire at 10 p.m. Wind gusts will reached up to 40 mph in those areas, where rain is also expected, according to the Weather Service.

Rainfall amounts will range from one-tenth to a quarter-inch near the coast to a half-inch to a full inch closer to the mountains, according to the NWS.

Carrier Returns to San Diego

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is scheduled to return to San Diego Monday following a seven-month deployment to the western Pacific and Middle East.

The Carrier strike group includes the Nimitz-class carrier USS John C. Stennis, which is homeported in Bremerton, Wash., the San Diego-based guided- missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay, guided-missile destroyers USS Pinckney, USS Kidd, USS Dewey and USS Wayne E. Meyer, Destroyer Squadron 21 and Carrier Air Wing 9.

While deployed, the ships played a pivotal role in the draw-down of U.S. forces in Iraq, officials said.

On Dec. 18, an E-2C "Hawkeye" aircraft that was part of Carrier Air Wing 9 flew the last Navy aviation mission over Iraq.

"Flying the last Navy air mission in Iraq was a historic achievement for all of us," said Capt. Dale Horan, former commander of Carrier Air Wing 9. "Everyone in this strike group played a major part in making that happen and it's a part of history we will always share."

In January, while supporting operations in Afghanistan, John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group forces thwarted an attempted pirate attack on a Bahamian- flagged cargo vessel and freed a group of Iranian mariners from the suspected pirates, Navy officials said.

"Our goal was safety and security, protecting the lives of those fishermen," said Cmdr. Jennifer L. Ellinger, commanding officer of the USS Kidd. "We were just happy to save lives and help people."

The strike group also conducted several exercises with partner countries in the western Pacific and made stops in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Gas Prices

The 33rd consecutive daily increase Monday pushed the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County to $4.316, its highest level since July 25, 2008.

The average price rose seven-tenths of a cent today and is 24.5 cents more than one week ago, 57.1 cents higher than a month ago and 56.8 cents greater than a year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

Analysts attribute the higher prices at the pump to rising oil prices, which stem from fears of shortages resulting from tensions in the Middle East over Iran's nuclear program, and to speculation by investors. Additional factors include the closure of some California refineries for maintenance and a fire that will keep the Cherry Point refinery near Blaine, Wash., closed for at least three weeks.

The price of a barrel of benchmark West Texas intermediate crude for April delivery settled at $109.77 on the New York Mercantile Exchange Friday, the highest since May 3. The price had been $96 earlier this month.

Crude oil costs account for two-thirds to three-quarters of the price of a gallon of gasoline, according to Tupper Hull of the Western States Petroleum Association, a trade association representing oil companies in six western states.

-City News Service