A winter storm brought much-needed rainfall – 3 inches in some areas – along with high winds to the San Diego region Thursday.

Wet weather is on its way to San Diego County Monday, with rain arriving as early as Tuesday, forecasters said

An NWS flood watch will be in effect Thursday afternoon and evening for the San Diego area's coastal, valley and mountain communities.

Warm and dry weather will close out the weekend, with rain and snow expected in parts of the region by midweek, according to the National Weather Service.

The first significant storm of winter will drop heavy rain across much of County from roughly 9 p.m. to midnight Thursday and produce showers Friday, temporarily easing the threat of wildfires but doing comparatively little to lift precipitation to seasonal levels,

Wednesday's rain will be gentle and relatively light, but on Thursday and Thursday night, heavier precipitation will spread southeastward across the area, according to the National Weather Service.

A flood watch is in effect until Thursday along the San Diego County coast, including San Diego, Carlsbad, Poway and Chula Vista.