The souped-up Pacific storm that will hit San Diego County on Christmas Eve could drop 3 to 4 inches of rain over a short period, making travel dicey and raising the risk of flooding, the National Weather Service said.

San Diego averages less than 2 inches of rain in December and hasn’t had a drop this month.

The region will catch the tail of a storm that tapped into copious amounts of subtropical moisture, causing it to grow and become more explosive. The Pineapple Express, as some call it, will affect the entire state. The first big urban hit comes Monday when the system is expected to slam the San Francisco Bay Area. It’ll then sink toward Southern California.

The storm, which also is packing strong winds, could slow or disrupt traffic on Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101, prime routes between San Diego and San Francisco.

Forecasters say the system will push into Orange and San Diego counties and the Inland Empire late Tuesday night and unleash heavy rain, and possibly lightning, on Wednesday. The wind could gust as high as 40 mph in spots from San Diego to Julian, forecasters said.

The most intense rain is expected to fall from mid-morning until late-afternoon Wednesday, when last-minute Christmas shoppers will be crowding freeways. Downpours could close some parking areas at the Fashion Valley Mall in Mission Valley, which often floods in heavy rain. Showers will last into Thursday, Christmas Day, and forecasters say a second storm could hit over the weekend.

A flash flood watch will be in effect countywide from 4 a.m. Wednesday to 1 a.m. Thursday.

The forecast has turned worrisome over the past couple of days.

The weather service earlier thought the storm could produce about 1.5 inches of rain in San Diego, and roughly twice as much across inland valleys and mountains.

On Sunday, they said San Diego could get 2.5 to 4 inches of precipitation. And there was deeper confidence that some areas east of Interstate 15 would be seeing 3 to 4 inches of rain.

Snow isn’t expected, though. The storm is comparatively warm due to its connections with the subtropics.

A longtime San Diego bike shop is struggling to recover after its latest burglary — a break-in the owner says cost thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise and damages just days before the holiday shopping rush. The shop, “San Diego Bike Shop,” is located at 619 C Street.

The shop’s owner Moe Karimi says this is not the first time thieves have targeted his business, despite repeated efforts to improve security.

The small business has installed surveillance cameras, reinforced doors and even upgraded to shatter-resistant windows. Still, the owner says it hasn’t been enough to stop criminals from breaking in.

“It’s a very upsetting thing that you wake up at four o’clock in the morning and come up here and face the broken door and window,” said Karimi. “You walk in and see half the store is empty.”

Karimi says repeated burglaries have taken a growing toll on his business over the years.

“It has always progressively gotten worse and worse,” he said.

Surveillance footage from the most recent break-in shows multiple suspects inside the shop. Karimi says dozens of bikes were stolen — many of them high-end models with hefty price tags.

“It’s not just the money that was lost — the physical money,” Karimi explained. “I lost a lot of money because of not selling.”

The timing, he says, couldn’t be worse.

“During the holiday season, when there’s so much product taken out of your store, your sales drop because you don’t have the products,” he said. “And it takes time to replace that.”

Karimi opened the bike shop in 1999 and says he’s made it a priority to stay proactive when it comes to security.

“Every year I add some kind of security feature. I reinforce the doors and gates,” he said. “But still, if they want to get in, nothing stops them.”

Now, the repeated break-ins have left him feeling uncertain about the future.

“I feel very insecure in my business — that every day something can happen,” Karimi said. “It seems to me that nobody cares at the street level what happens in San Diego. It’s terrible.”

The San Diego Police Department says it is still investigating the burglary.

In a statement, police said in part:

“Shortly after 4:00 a.m., multiple suspects forcibly entered the business and stole property before fleeing the area. No injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made at this time.

The business owner reported an estimated loss of approximately $15,000 in stolen property. The exact inventory and total loss remain under review.

Detectives are actively reviewing surveillance footage and working with partner agencies as part of the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information related to this incident is urged to contact San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Tipsters may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
Detectives are actively reviewing surveillance footage and working with partner agencies as part of the ongoing investigation.”