San Diego River expected to approach flood stage early Monday in Mission Valley

Predawn rain is expected to cause the San Diego River to rise to 8.1 feet in depth early Monday in Mission Valley, likely causing traffic and parking problems in and around the Fashion Valley mall, according to the National Weather Service.

“The water could become even deeper if the rain falls hard in that area,” said Casey Oswant, a weather service forecaster.

That section of the river rose rapidly on New Year’s Day when a huge Pacific storm produced torrential downpours across San Diego County, causing widespread flooding. Nearly a dozen rescues were carried out, mostly in San Diego.

Water from that storm is still flowing down the river, which empties into the ocean. More rain fell before dawn on Sunday. About 0.25 inches of precipitation is expected to fall by early Monday in San Diego. North County will get hit harder, receiving 0.75 inches to 1 inch of rain.

Forecasters say it is possible that yet another storm will hit the county on Wednesday. It’s not yet clear when the system will arrive or how much rain it could bring.

San Diego International Airport has recorded 7.12 inches of rain since Oct. 1. That’s roughly 3.9 inches above average.