Morning Rain Contributes to Rush-Hour Accidents

Most of the Washington area awoke this morning to a light but steady rain that brought relief to parched earth and depleted waterways, but also contributed to considerable chaos on the roadways.

Wet asphalt and compromised visibility were believed to be factors in several early-morning accidents, local traffic reporters said.

Two collisions involved jackknifed tractor-trailers on opposite sides of the Capital Beltway in Montgomery County, leading to major backups in both directions during the first part of the morning rush hour. A fallen tree forced the closure of Beach Drive in upper Northwest Washington, and numerous accidents on secondary roads caused additional congestion.

The Metrorail system reported delays on the Red Line, due to speed restrictions for trains traveling between the Medical Center and Friendship Heights stations.

The first Beltway accident, at 4:30 a.m., involved four vehicles and occurred on the outer loop between Georgia and Connecticut avenues, Maryland State Police said. One car slid under the tractor-trailer after it jackknifed; two other vehicles then slammed into the heap. Police said one person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Less than an hour later, while the first accident scene was still being cleared, a second tractor-trailer jackknifed on the Beltway's inner loop, just east of Georgia Avenue, police said. No other vehicles were involved, and no one was injured, but most lanes of the highway were blocked, causing significant delays.

Shortly after 7:30 a.m., all lanes on both sides of the Beltway were reopened, and the logjam began to dissipate.

National Weather Service meteorologist Nikole Listemaa said precipitation will continue off and on today and into tonight, with more possible tomorrow and a likelihood of storms Friday and Saturday.

The accumulation -- which radar estimates early this morning gauged at about one-third of an inch -- will chip away at, but not eliminate, the gap between the 22 inches of rainfall in the region so far in 2007, and the 32.5 inches that normally would have fallen by now.

"It is gonna help a little bit," Listemaa said, "but it's not gonna" eradicate the drought-like conditions that have desiccated crops in Virginia and Maryland, diminished the harvest of Chesapeake Bay crabs and prompted several jurisdictions to adopt mandatory or voluntary water conservation measures.

Listemaa said a gradual increase in precipitation is far better in the long run for mitigating the drought. With sun-baked land surfaces rock-hard, she said, prolonged downpours can lead to flooding.

"You don't want all that rain at one time anyway," she said. "Maybe a little here, a little there, a little there, that's what you want. This is a good start."

The rains will end only after a cold front sweeps into the region this weekend, Listemaa said. Starting Saturday night, temperatures will drop significantly, down into the 40s, and the latest bout of unseasonably warm temperatures will be over.

Sunday is expected to be partly cloudy, with the sun breaking through for good early next week, Listemaa said. At the same time, temperatures will be crisp -- in the 50s during the day and 40s at night.

"Perfect weather for Halloween," Listemaa said. "Cool enough to where you don't sweat in your costume."