Chains were required on Palomar Mountain Sunday, as a late winter snowstorm began to coat the backcountry mountains with an icing of white.
The San Diego County Department of Public Works issued an advisory Sunday morning for drivers that chains are required on Palomar Mountain, as snow began to fall in local mountains.
The National Weather Service predicted that up to five inches of snow could fall at the 4,000 to 5,000-foot elevation, and five to 10 inches above 5,000 feet. Strong winds, reduced visibility and minor urban flooding were also expected, said weather forecasters.
The forecast called for lightning and thunder, prompting the weather service to issue a beach hazard statement until 9 p.m. Sunday.
The storm caused several traffic wrecks on local freeways Sunday morning, with vehicles spinning out, sliding off the roadways and colliding into each other, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Exact figures were not available, but there were significantly more traffic incidents than are normally reported during fair weather on a typical Sunday, according to the CHP’s online incident log.
Rain totals for the county as of 6 a.m. Sunday included .93 of an inch at Mount Woodson, .38 in Kearny Mesa, .32 in La Jolla, .73 in Julian, .51 in Pine Valley, .29 in Carlsbad, .27 in Del Mar, .21 in Vista, .18 in Oceanside, .16 in Chula Vista, .12 at Lindbergh Field, .12 in San Ysidro, .01 in La Mesa, .32 in Santee and .11 in El Cajon.
— City News Service
