BRIEF BREAK EXPECTED BEFORE MORE RAIN MOVES IN.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

Pounding rain that aggravated Southland commuters Tuesday should give way to clearing skies today, but the precipitation will return by week's end, dumping significant snowfall in the mountains, forecasters said.

``They'll be clearing by the morning commute (today) with another system moving in on its tail on Friday night and Saturday morning,'' said Jamie Smith, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. ``There will be a brief respite.''

Rainfall amounts on Friday and Saturday should range between a half-inch in the valleys to 1 1/2 inches in the foothills.

Snow levels will be in the 6,000- to 7,000-foot range, with 6 to 18 inches of snow expected at elevations above 7,000 feet, Smith said.

Tuesday's low-pressure system, which moved from the southwest to northeast, was particularly wet because it was pulling ashore a band of tropical moisture. The storm dropped 0.77 of an inch of rain in downtown Los Angeles, taking the season total to 9.26 inches - nearly 5 inches below the average for this time of year.

While the rain was heavy at times, the California Highway Patrol reported only a slight increase in traffic collisions on slippery roadways, but no serious injuries.

``There are a lot of solo accidents, some spinouts, and a couple of fender-benders,'' said CHP Officer Francisco Villalobos.

Fire Department spokesman Ron Myers said no mudslides were reported on San Fernando Valley hillsides charred by fire five months ago. Some power lines were downed, however, causing scattered outages.

The NWS warned that mountain travel could be difficult due to blowing snow, with winds gusts up to 50 mph.

A series of heavy storms over the past month has left an above-average snowpack in the Sierra, good news for the farmers and municipal water users who rely on the massive watershed for their annual water supplies, according to a snow survey Tuesday by the state Department of Water Resources.

The survey, the fourth of five conducted each winter and spring, helps the department gauge how much water will be available during the rest of the year for the 29 agencies and irrigation districts that draw from the State Water Project.

``It's looking really good right now,'' said Don Strickland, a department spokesman. ``All the reservoirs are pretty much full. ... It's too bad we don't have more storage.''

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Photo:

Molly wears a rain jacket just for pooches while walking in the rain with owner Jim Luis on Tuesday at Shadow Ranch Park in West Hills.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

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RAINFALL TOTALS

SOURCE: National Weather Service