STORM EXPECTED TO BRING HEAVY SNOW IN MOUNTAINS

The cold Canadian storm that brought showers to San Diego County Sunday will intensify today and drop 8 to 12 inches of snow on Mount Laguna and Palomar Mountain by early Tuesday and 1 to 3 inches on eastern Interstate 8, from Alpine to the Imperial County line, the National Weather Service said.

The system also will produce strong winds along I-8, making driving treacherous on down slopes, authorities say. Winds will reach up to 60 mph in the mountains and 20 to 30 mph across inland foothills.

It appears that coastal areas will receive from a half inch to 3⁄4 of an inch of rain throughout the duration of the storm while areas farther inland, including Escondido and Julian, could get from 1 to 1 1⁄2 inches of precipitation.

Concerns about inclement weather prompted five school districts in rural and mountainous areas in North County and East County to cancel classes today, and plan late starts for Tuesday. The closures affect students attending Julian Union High, Julian Union Elementary, Mountain Empire Unified, Spencer Valley and Warner Unified, the county Office of Education announced.

A winter storm warning will be in effect for the eastern reaches until Sunday to 10 a.m. Tuesday.

“Cold conditions will prevail through Wednesday morning, with the potential for widespread frost over the inland valleys,” the weather service said in an advisory.

The cold weather will prevent daytime high temperatures from rising above the low 50s today and Tuesday. The seasonal average high temperature in San Diego is 67 degrees.

Temperatures will drop to the low 40s late Tuesday night.

Since the rainy season began on Oct. 1, San Diego International Airport has recorded 7.54 inches of precipitation. That is 2.77 inches above normal.