Rain, Snow Fall in Southland : Fast-Moving Storm Blamed in Traffic Death

Southern California was wet along the coast and snowy in the mountains Sunday as a fast-moving storm swept in from the Pacific, claiming at least one life in traffic and offering the threat of mud slides to hills laid bare by summer fires.

The National Weather Service said the storm, which was accompanied by strong, gusty winds, should be on the wane today, leaving from one to two inches of rainfall in the lowlands--and perhaps half a foot of snow at mountain resorts above 7,000 feet.

Meanwhile, flood watches were issued for southeast Santa Barbara and Ventura counties--including the foothills north of Carpinteria, Matilija Creek and the communities of Oakview, Live Oak Acres, Meiners Oaks, Mira Monte and Ojai--while winter storm warnings were issued for all Northern and Central California areas above 4,000 feet.

By late evening, however, fire and flood control authorities in Ventura and Los Angeles counties said damage appeared to be limited to a few minor slides.

The California Highway Patrol blamed intermittent rain that began moving in from coastal areas during early afternoon for a Lancaster accident that left an automobile passenger dead and the driver of the vehicle seriously injured.

CHP Capt. Tom Wildey said a small passenger car went out of control on rain-slicked streets and flipped over near West 128th Street and Lancaster Road. The driver was taken by helicopter to Antelope Valley Medical Center. The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither was immediately identified.

Several other less serious traffic accidents were blamed on the weather, but police and the highway patrol said no other major injuries had been reported by late Sunday night.

Two automobiles were briefly trapped in deep mud when the rain sent the side of a hill sliding down on the southern end of Malibu Canyon Road about two miles north of Pacific Coast Highway.

Neither car was entirely buried, however, and a highway patrol spokesman said there were no injuries. All lanes of the road were blocked in both directions, but road crews cleared the mud, allowing traffic to proceed within half an hour.

High temperature at Los Angeles Civic Center on Sunday was 58 degrees, and .07 of an inch of rain had fallen by late afternoon. This brought the total for the season to 1.59 inches--about half an inch below the 2.05 inches that would be statistically normal for this part of the year.

Other parts of the Southland were wetter. By sunset, .46 of an inch of rain had fallen at Santa Barbara, .26 in Woodland Hills, .22 at Northridge, .17 at Lemon Grove, .16 at Spring Valley, .15 at Point Loma, Coronado and Torrance, .14 at Vista, .13 at Montebello, .12 at Santa Monica and .11 at Mt. Wilson.

Central California, not surprisingly, absorbed the brunt of the storm, with 3.35 inches of rain at the Marin Civic Center and 1.69 in San Francisco.

Heavy snow was reported in the San Gabriel Mountains at altitudes above 6,500 feet, and residents of the Big Bear area of the San Bernardino range said it was beginning to snow there--to the accompaniment of strong, gusty winds.

Caltrans was requiring chains or snow tires for all vehicles entering the Sierra, and parts of California 88 and 89 were closed due to snowslides in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe, where the snow level was expected to drop below 5,000 feet overnight.