Dry conditions Friday, more wet weather expected this weekend

LOS ANGELES (FOX 11 / CNS) - Steady rain made for a soggy morning commute Thursday, contributing to traffic-snarling freeway wrecks and leading to at least one person being rescued from the rushing Los Angeles River.

The rainfall was generally light, but steady -- enough to keep streets and freeways wet and slow traffic.

By early Thursday morning, almost a half-inch of rain was recorded in L.A. County valleys, three quarters of an inch along the Ventura County coast and more than 8 inches in a section of San Luis Obispo County, said National Weather Service meteorologist Curt Kaplan.

Slick roads made for a sometimes-treacherous commute. A big rig crashed into the center divider of the Golden State (5) Freeway at Buena Vista Street overnight, blocking two lanes on both sides of the roadway for about three hours.

A big rig and a car collided on the eastbound Pomona (60) Freeway around the same time near East Los Angeles, sending the rig onto the freeway embankment and blocking most eastbound lanes for several hours.

Late Thursday morning, Los Angeles firefighters were sent to rescue a man who had become stranded on an island in the rain-swollen Los Angeles River in the Silver Lake area. More than 70 firefighters, including two helicopter crews, were sent to the scene. The man was eventually brought to safety by rescuers who used a small boat, and he was apparently uninjured.

The rain was expected to completely move out of the area by Thursday night, and forecasters said dry conditions are on tap for Friday.

"Another front will bring rain to parts of the region at times Saturday through Monday, with the best chance of rain south of Point Conception on Monday,'' according to the National Weather Service. "Unsettled weather may continue through the end of next week.''

Forecasters said the coming weekend storm was a little unpredictable, but early models indicated that Los Angeles county might receive a quarter-inch of rain or less on Saturday, but the figures could change drastically as the storm gets closer.

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