Rain expected to ease up today, redevelop overnight

SAN DIEGO - Downpours over San Diego County were expected to ease up today, but drizzle and light rain were expected to redevelop overnight and stick around for another day or two, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service said rain was expected to persist for the next 24 to 48 hours as onshore flow increases in ahead of a cold upper-level trough headed down the coast through Monday.

''This was a welcome and beneficial rain for the area including the deserts, where little rain has fallen so far this season,'' forecasters reported on the NWS website. ''It is not quite over yet either.''

Rainfall amounts in the early morning hours were less than one-tenth of an inch, but areas of fog and scattered showers continued this morning across much of the county, which caused wet roads and lowered motorists' visibility, according to the National Weather Service.

Rain and low visibility were reported in the Oceanside area about 8:30 a.m. and on northbound Interstate 5 at Via de la Valle, according to the California Highway Patrol. Two crashes were reported on the southbound freeway at Via de la Valle about an hour before.

Shortly before 10 a.m. county Department of Public Works crews were working to remove a rock slide from Sunrise Highway on Laguna Mountain, 15 miles north of Pine Valley. Drivers were advised to use caution watch out for crews and equipment in the area.

By Friday evening, most areas had gotten anywhere from a little over one- tenth of an inch of moisture to nearly three-quarters of an inch.

The storm was warm, and no snow was falling, weather observers concluded.

The county Department of Environmental Health issued a general advisory Friday afternoon stating swimmers, surfers and other ocean-goers should avoid the county's coastal waters for at least 72 hours after rain because the levels of bacteria could rise significantly, especially near storm drains, creeks, rivers and other outlets that discharge urban runoff.

The advisory also covered Mission and San Diego bays, DEH officials said.

Pacific Storm Drenches San Diego Area

SAN DIEGO - A temperate winter storm brought widespread rainfall to the San Diego area today, ushering in a spate of cloudy skies and wet conditions expected to last through the weekend.

The low-pressure system out of the eastern Pacific pulled moist subtropical air into Southern California, resulting in showers that began late Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Up to about an inch of precipitation likely will fall throughout the county through tonight ahead of cooler temperatures and more scattered cloudbursts continuing into Monday, meteorologists predicted.

By early this evening, most areas had gotten anywhere from a little over one-tenth of an inch of moisture to nearly three-quarters of an inch. The highest amounts recorded over a 24-hour period ending shortly before 5:30 p.m. were on Otay Mountain, where 0.99 of an inch accumulated, and in Campo, with 0.88, the weather service reported.

The downpours, meanwhile, led to some typical rainy-day problems on the region's wet roadways. Between midnight and 4 p.m., the California Highway Patrol logged 291 crashes. By comparison, the CHP generally responds to 50-75 accidents on local freeways and rural roads over an entire day of fair weather.

The unsettled atmospheric system also could let loose with up to several inches of snow above the 4,500-foot level Sunday and early Monday, NWS forecaster Mike Watkins said.