Warmer, Clearer Skies Expected as Rain Moves Out of Southland

Brighter skies and slightly warmer temperatures are expected today following the moderate showers that deposited more than half an inch of rain on Los Angeles before it moved east Tuesday afternoon.

A number of traffic accidents were blamed on the storm--including a 15-car pileup on the Hollywood Freeway as the rain began falling late Monday night. Two people were injured in that accident, but there were no deaths, critical injuries or road closures reported--even in mountain areas, where up to 5 inches of snow had fallen by mid-afternoon.

At the Los Angeles Civic Center, .64 of an inch of rain was reported as a result of the low-pressure system of subtropical moisture.

In the desert and the San Diego area, rain continued to fall Tuesday afternoon, tying up rush-hour traffic and causing some flooding in San Diego, where 1.22 inches had been recorded by late afternoon.

Other Southland rainfall figures, according to the National Weather Service, included .89 in Pasadena, .83 in Monrovia, .82 in Newport Beach, .77 in Beaumont, .75 in Torrance, .60 in Palm Springs, Montebello and Santa Monica, .56 in San Gabriel, .55 in Woodland Hills, .50 in Northridge, .38 in Long Beach, .26 in Lancaster and .03 in Santa Barbara.

Forecasters expected the rain to end in all Southland areas by late Tuesday.

At that point, “it should be over for the week,” said Mike Smith, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

In the local mountains, the rain turned to snow above 5,000 feet, to the delight of skiers. At the Mountain High and Snow Summit ski resorts, for example, more than 4 inches of fresh snow were reported by mid-afternoon.

The high temperature at the Civic Center Tuesday reached 58 degrees after an overnight low of 47, the National Weather Service reported. The normal highs and lows for Feb. 2 are 68 degrees and 49 degrees.

Relative humidity ranged from 72% to 93%.

Smith said high temperatures today should be about 60 degrees with scattered clouds and light winds.

For Thursday, Smith predicted breezy, sunny skies and a high temperature of 65. On Friday and Saturday, highs should range between 65 and 70 degrees, he said.