Dense Fog — San Diego County Mountains, California

2016-12-16 · San Diego County Mountains, California

Event narrative

Dense fog and rain limited visibility along Interstate 8 through the San Diego County Mountains. One person was killed when her vehicle drove off a cliff. Weather was confirmed as in influencing factor.

Wider weather episode

An upper level trough and the tail end of a Pacific cold front traversed the region on the 15th and 16th of December. Though showers were reported across the region, the main impact was wind, with gusts exceeding 70 mph along the desert slopes. Winds associated with a mountain wave also briefly surface in the Coachella Valley, producing minor damage in southern La Quinta. Rain and patchy dense fog along the coastal slopes impacted driving conditions. San Diego County reported 546 traffic accidents (390% of normal), one traffic accident resulted in a fatality along Interstate 8.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 670387. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.