Most San Diegans woke up Monday to puddles or downpours, a welcome respite from the 40-plus day drought the region had experienced. The county's first significant rainstorm of the season brought totals Monday ranging from a quarter to half an inch near the coast to more than an inch in the mountain slopes, according to the National Weather Service.

Some areas in Southern California, a region plagued by drought conditions, saw more than inch of rain this weekend.

Overnight, isolated lightning strikes were reported, primarily over coastal waters and nearby land areas, but thunderstorm chances were expected to decrease by Monday morning.

Following weeks of critically bone-dry conditions, San Diego County could finally get a taste of rain over the weekend.

With parts of Los Angeles County still smoldering from wildfires, the expected rain this weekend would seem like a welcome relief. But how the rain falls could make the difference between a disaster respite or a disaster repeat.

The National Weather Service office in San Diego is forecasting cooler temperatures and widespread rain continuing into the first part of the week.

Scattered rain showers fell across San Diego County over the weekend, bringing some slight respite during what the National Weather Service has referred to as the driest start to San Diego's water year.