Rain Washes Away Fears of a Drought

A storm that dropped nearly an inch of rain on some parts of Orange County on Wednesday has caused at least one expert to soften previous assessments of the area’s “drought-like” season.

“I wouldn’t call it a drought, but a dry spell,” said Stacey Johnstone, a meteorologist for WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times. “I think what you’ll end up with is a season that’s a little drier than normal, but definitely not a drought.”

Wednesday’s storm, the latest in a series over the past two weeks, deposited about 0.86 of an inch in Santa Ana through the day. Other totals for the day included 0.29 of an inch in Anaheim, 0.10 of an inch in Newport Beach and 0.11 of an inch in San Juan Capistrano.

The rain brought the season’s total to 3.16 inches in Santa Ana, compared to 8.2 inches by this time in an average season and 4.87 inches last year.

Johnstone attributed the recent increase in precipitation to La Nina, a condition in which colder ocean temperatures near the equator create a more stable atmosphere and therefore less rain. If the present trend continues, Johnstone said, she would expect about 10 inches of rain by the season’s end in late June compared to the usual seasonal average of 12.54 inches.

“We will be close,” she said, “but a little bit below average.”

Wednesday’s rain seemed to have little effect on the county’s roads, where traffic flow was reported to be near normal. “We’ve had no SigAlerts and no major accidents,” said Mark Reeves, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol. “We’ve been real quiet today--more than usual on a rainy day.”

Johnstone said county residents should get a brief respite from the rain today, with the possibility of some early morning fog and low clouds with a slight drizzle that should dry out by afternoon.

Temperatures should range from the low 50s to mid-60s, she said. Then on Friday, another storm is likely to cause showers lasting from Friday night through Sunday morning.

And after that?

Well, Johnstone advises, best take your umbrella to work Monday.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

O.C. Rainfall

Season to date in inches:

July 1-Feb 16 (latest available)

Station: Santa Ana

This Year: 3.16

Last Year: 4.87

Avg: 8.20

*

Station: Villa Park Dam

This Year: 2.46

Last Year: 5.16

Avg: 9.85

*

Station: Santiago Peak

This Year: 17.64

Last Year: 17.88

Avg: 22.41

*

Station: Costa Mesa

This Year: 2.07

Last Year: 4.92

Avg: 8.35

Source: OC Public Facilities and Resources Dept.