Showers, Winds and Chill : Keep Your Umbrella and Raincoat Handy

Orange County weather today and tonight will be rainy, breezy and chilly, says the National Weather Service.

The forecast calls for cool winds and intermittent showers, but they are expected to fade by Thursday as the latest storm from the Gulf of Alaska slides inland. Yet another storm looms offshore, and it could bring more precipitation by the weekend.

As the current storm moved onshore late Tuesday, forecasters guessed that there might be about half an inch of rain in the coastal areas and about two inches in the foothills and mountains. The chance of rain today is estimated at 60% in Orange County and 80% in Los Angeles.

The rain is expected to taper off by nightfall and no precipitation is forecast for Thursday. Cloudy skies and cooler temperatures are predicted for Thursday and Friday in Orange County, with highs in the upper 50.

Snow was anticipated down to the 3,000-foot level in the northernmost mountains of Southern California and down to 5,000 feet in the south.

Strong, gusty winds of 25 to 40 m.p.h. were forecast for the mountains. It also will be windy in the deserts.

The high temperature today is expected to be around 58 to 60 degrees in the Santa Ana area; the high on Tuesday in that city was 60. The high in Newport Beach on Tuesday also was 60. Low temperatures were 40 in Santa Ana and 42 in Newport Beach.