SAN DIEGO - A cold Pacific storm will bring rain, snow and gusty winds to San Diego County late Thursday through early Saturday, forecasters said today.

"A pair of Pacific low pressure systems will merge off the British Columbia coast Wednesday, then move southward along the west coast, moving through Southwest California Thursday night through early Saturday," according to the National Weather Service.

Rainfall amounts are expected to range from a quarter-inch near the coast to a half-inch to an inch in the mountains.

Three to six inches of snowfall from the storm is expected above 4,000 feet, possibly reaching 10 inches in some areas, mainly above 7,000 feet. The snow level could lower to 2,500 feet by Saturday, according to the weather service.

In the mountains and deserts, southwest to west winds are expected by Friday, with gusts of up to 55 miles per hour.

"This weather could be deadly for unprepared campers or hikers," according to an NWS advisory. "The combination of strong winds, low visibilities and snowfall could create hazardous travel conditions in the mountains, especially Friday and Friday night, with snow levels low enough to impact travel on ... Interstate 8 through the San Diego County mountains."

Heavier showers could cause local urban flooding, mainly Friday and Friday night, according to the weather service.