Clear Weekend Shaping Up as Wind, Showers Subside

Orange County endured a sprinkling of rain and gusty winds Thursday as a storm front moved out of the area, clearing the way for a National Weather Service prediction of slightly warmer temperatures through the weekend.

Forecasters had expected the rain to be gone by Wednesday night, but a second front sneaked in behind the first and squeezed a few more showers out of the cold, unstable air. By today Southern California should be mostly clear.

The heaviest rainfall came at the county’s station on Santiago Peak, where 1.57 inches fell in a 24-hour period ending at 8 a.m. Thursday, according to Bob Collacott of the Environmental Management Agency. The measurement brought the total precipitation from the storm to 2.63 inches, he said.

A recording post in Costa Mesa gathered .1 of an inch for the 24-hour period, while one in Villa Park measured .34 of an inch. Collacott said the rain was a normal amount for this time of year. “In terms of total rainfall, we’re pretty darn close to where we were last year,” he said.

Wind measurements, which rated about 6 m.p.h. at the John Wayne Airport control tower at 6 a.m., had soared to about 22 m.p.h. by 3:30 p.m. One of the few people who could appreciate the blustery conditions was Rhonda Connelly, sales clerk at Newport Kite Bazaar.

“It was pretty good business today,” she said. “When it’s as windy as this, a lot of people want to buy kites.”

Temperatures rose to the high 50s and low 60s Thursday with Fullerton registering the top measurement at 63 degrees.

Skies are expected to clear for the weekend, according to the NWS, although the northerly winds will persist today, ranging from 15 to 25 m.p.h., and decrease by Saturday. Highs are expected to be in the mid-60s and low-70s Saturday, rising to the mid-70s and mid-80s Sunday. Lows are expected to range in the mid-40s and 50s both days.

Before finally departing to the east in advance of an approaching ridge of high pressure, the front dropped another .06 of an inch of rain on the Los Angeles Civic Center, bringing the storm total to .97 of an inch and the season total to 12.59 inches. Normal to date is 13.24 inches.

Downtown High May Hit 68

Today’s downtown high temperature should be near 68 degrees after a Thursday high of 63. On Saturday, it is expected to rise to 74. Coastal highs on Sunday will range from 75 to 85.

Relative humidity ranged from 77% to 25% during the day.

The winds were so blustery in the desert Thursday that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration had to delay for a second time its scheduled test flight of the X-29 experimental jet.

“The winds did it to us again,” said spokeswoman Nancy Lovato at Edwards Air Force Base. “They are really whipping around out there.”

NASA will try again today.

Travelers’ advisories were issued for Southern California deserts and mountains as the combination of high pressure off the coast and the low pressure extending from the Pacific Northwest to Nevada produced the strong, gusty winds.

Winds Should Calm

Those winds should calm down by Saturday, forecasters said, with mountain resort highs from 42 to 52 today and 50 to 58 on Saturday. Sunday could be another 10 degrees warmer.