Sunny skies likely today

San Diego area residents will get relief today from this week’s wet weather, with sunny skies likely to return to the county by this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The mostly sunny weather in today’s forecast will mark the start of several dry days for San Diego County.

James Oh, an NWS meteorologist, said rain and snow would likely return on Monday, the first day of winter.

There was a 20 percent chance of showers this morning in valley and desert areas, and a 30 percent chance in the mountains. By tonight, residents throughout the county can expect mostly clear skies with light winds, according to the Weather Service.

Though drier, parts of the county may still be cold enough to cause frost in wind-sheltered areas. The NWS issued a frost advisory for the valleys and deserts from 10 p.m. today to 10 a.m. Friday.

Highs today were forecast to be from the high 50s in the deserts and along the coast to the high 30s to mid-40s in the mountains and near the foothills.

On Wednesday, the second storm to hit Southern California this week dropped more than two inches of rain in some areas, according to the Weather Service.

In the region’s higher elevations, Wednesday’s storm produced steadysnowfall, deepening the drifts that accumulated Monday, the Weather Service reported.

The heavy precipitation resulted in road closures and auto wrecks throughout the region.

Between midnight and 11 p.m. Wednesday, the California Highway Patrol tallied 287 accidents on San Diego County freeways and back-country roads. During dry conditions, by comparison, the agency typically responds to 50-75 crashes over a 24-hour span.

By midday Wednesday, the swollen Tijuana River overflowed its banks just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, leaving dozens of people and horses trapped.

On Monday, a similar blustery late-autumn weather system dumped several inches of rain and snow in the San Diego area.