A wildfire in the hills near the U.S.-Mexico border exploded early Friday morning over thousands of acres, prompting evacuation orders throughout the Otay Wilderness Area and triggering school closures as well as likely power shutoffs for tens of thousands of people.

A Pacific storm that will begin to spread across San Diego County late Saturday could produce enough rain and snow through Tuesday to significantly lower the threat of wildfires across the region, the National Weather Service indicated in an advisory.

With many 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.

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