in California. It was brought back into service in 2009 and is staffed by the San Diego/Riverside County Chapter of the FFLA Forest Fire Lookout Association - San Diego/Riverside. Other local peaks include: Birch Hill () Boucher Hill (). Access South Grade Road, the stretch of San Diego County Route S6 going from State Route 76 to the summit provides access with over 20 hairpin turns over the distance of less than . Climate According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Palomar Mountain has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps. Annual precipitation on the mountain averages 30–35 inches (highly variable from year to year), mostly falling between October and April. Snow falls during cold winter storms. Summers are mostly dry, except for thunderstorms in July to early September. The humid climate supports a forest of oak, pine, fir and cedar on large swaths of the mountain. Natural history The upper elevations of the Palomar Mountain Range have notably different habitats than its lower elevation foothills. The lower regions are in the California montane chaparral and woodlands sub-ecoregion, adapted to the xeric/dry Mediterranean climate with chaparral and woodlands flora. The higher regions are in the California mixed evergreen forest sub-ecoregion, with California black oaks, closed-cone pines, firs, and other California oaks and conifers. Higher elevations receive considerably more moisture than the coastal and inland valley lower slopes, with of precipitation. They can also receive snow from winter storms. See also California montane chaparral and woodlands California oak woodlands Closed-cone pine forests References Sources External links California State Parks: official Palomar Mountain State Park website Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park Palomar Mountain History (book) Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce: Palomar Mountain Forest Fire Lookout Association - San Diego/Riverside County Chapter Mountains of San Diego County, California Cleveland National Forest North County (San Diego County) Peninsular Ranges Mountains of Southern California