Warm Spell Nipped in Bud; Outlook on Rain Is Cloudy

As expected, a frontal system moved into Southern California on Monday, bringing showers and cooler weather to put an abrupt end to that brief summer-like spell.

Drizzles and coastal fog should continue this morning but probably will fade by this afternoon, said meteorologist Rick Dittmann of WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

The National Weather Service, however, foresaw a 40% chance of showers tonight and Wednesday. Rainfall amounts of about 0.25 to 0.50 of an inch were expected in coastal areas, and about 1 to 2 inches in the mountains.

The cloud cover kept Monday’s high temperatures to a cool 52 degrees in El Toro, 53 in San Juan Capistrano and 56 in Newport Beach, Dittmann said. Inland, Santa Ana warmed to 67 degrees because the low clouds hugged the coast, he said. By contrast, he said, temperatures Sunday were 76 in Santa Ana, 71 in El Toro, 70 in San Juan Capistrano and 63 in Newport Beach.

By late Monday afternoon, traces of rain were reported in Santa Ana and Newport Beach and 0.01 inch of rain in El Toro and San Juan Capistrano, Dittmann said.

The chance of rain Wednesday is uncertain, however, because the storm system is expected to pass through “and then regress backwards . . . and where it decides to settle is the key to the issue,� Dittmann said.