Cool storm drenches greater Fallbrook, Bonsall area

SAN DIEGO - A late-autumn storm brought downpours to the San Diego area today, delivering welcome moisture to the dry region while ushering in a

spate of traffic accidents on rain-slick roadways.

The wet and blustery conditions, which moved over San Diego County during the weekend, dwindled this afternoon and were expected to peter out

completely overnight, the National Weather Service reported.

As of 3 p.m., according to the NWS, the storm had dropped a total of 0.86 inches in Fallbrook; 0.78 in Bonsall; 2.05 inches of precipitation in Palomar; 1.39 in Julian; 1.33 in Oat Flats; 1.32 at Cuyamaca Dam; 1.25 in Pine Hills; 1.16 in Pine Valley; 1.12 in Descanso; 1.11 in Pauma Valley; 1.03 on Volcan Mountain; 0.98 in Pine Valley; 0.95 in Valley Center; 0.88 in Escondido; 0.85 in San Marcos; 0.81 on Mount Laguna and in Hidden Meadows and Vista; and 0.8 in Potrero.

Other rainfall tallies include 0.78 in Rincon; 0.75 in Poway and Skyline Ranch; 0.73 in Harbison Canyon and Jamul; 0.72 in Santee; 0.71 in Ramona and Barrett Junction; 0.67 in San Pasqual; 0.66 in Vista; 0.65 in San Pasqual Valley; 0.63 in La Mesa and Campo; 0.61 in Lakeside and Rancho Bernardo; 0.54 in Boulevard and Dulzura; 0.43 in Alpine, Granite Hills and Rancho San Diego; 0.4 in El Cajon; 0.26 in La Mesa; 0.07 in Agua Caliente; 0.05 in Borrego Springs; and 0.02 in Ocotillo Wells.

As usual, the showers contributed to widespread rainy-day troubles on local streets and highways. The California Highway Patrol, which usually

responds to about 140 crashes over an entire day of fair weather, logged 180 wrecks between midnight and noon. One of those accidents, an early-afternoon

collision on state Route 67 in the Ramona area, resulted in a fatality.

An advisory warning of winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 50 to 60 mph in the mountains and deserts -- strong enough to potentially pose hazards for

motorists in those locales -- was scheduled to expire at 8 p.m.

Additionally, a high-surf advisory remained in effect until early evening. Drier and warmer conditions are in the forecast from Tuesday through

Thanksgiving, meteorologists said.