Storm affects local streets

A late-autumn storm brought heavy rainfall, mountain snow and high winds to the San Diego area today, along with a spate of traffic accidents that resulted in at least one fatality.

By mid-afternoon, the blustery front had dropped up to several inches of precipitation in some parts of the county, according to the National Weather Service.

Between midnight and noon, the California Highway Patrol logged 163 accidents on the region’s freeways and back-country roads. During dry conditions, the agency typically responds to 50-75 crashes in a 24-hour period.

A 25-year-old guard died shortly before 7:30 a.m. when the armored van he was riding in veered off a wet highway connector at State Route 94 and SR-15 in the Mount Hope area, the CHP reported.

The downpours forced the closure of numerous roads throughout the region due to flooding and debris blockages. Affected routes included sections of Cole Grade Road, Buena Creek Road, Rainbow Glen Road, eastbound Interstate 8 at Sunrise Highway, Old Highway 80 in Boulevard, Bent Avenue in San Marcos, State Route 78 near Ramona, Country Club Drive at Harmony Grove Road, Quarry Road in Spring Valley, Prospect Avenue at SR-67 and Via Vera Cruz at Discovery Street in San Marcos.

Roads were icy in the Ramona area in the morning, and light snowfall dusted Julian and the Mount Laguna area before sunrise.

In the mountains, up to a half-foot of snow was likely to accumulate today above the 4,500-foot level, according to the weather service.

The NWS issued a wind advisory from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for coastal and valley areas and from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the deserts, a high wind warning from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the mountains, and a 12-hour winter-weather advisory starting at 6 a.m.