Storm System May Bring a Drenching

An Alaskan storm system now bearing down on Southern California should make our cloudy skies even cloudier and may offer the area its first significant rainfall of the season, the National Weather Service said Tuesday.

Outriders of the storm began drifting into the area on Tuesday with showers reported in several areas of the Southland. Scattered showers dampened parts of Orange County, and .02 inches of rain fell at Newport Harbor and the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

By mid-afternoon travelers advisories had been issued in the Antelope Valley for winds gusting to 35 m.p.h. that churned sand and dust into the air, reducing visibilities for drivers.

Winds on Grapevine

Another travelers advisory warned of winds to 35 m.p.h. on Interstate 5 near the grapevine, and the weather service advised that motorists use extreme caution when venturing into the Tehachapis and the desert areas of Kern County.

Heavy surf generated by an Antarctic storm that had pounded south-facing beaches with 10 to 12 foot waves for four days finally diminished, but the weather service said more big waves should be arriving today, compliments of Waldo, a tropical storm off the tip of Baja California.

Meanwhile, the incoming northern storm system brought warnings of westerly winds to 25 knots and combined seas to 10 feet--which caused posting of small craft advisories for inner and outer waters from Point Conception to the Mexican border.

Sierra Snowfall

Snow was falling Tuesday in the northern Sierra, with the deepest accumulations apparently centered in passes around Lake Tahoe. Donner Summit had an inch of snow by early afternoon and two to three inches was reported at Luther Pass and Echo Summit. A winter storm watch was in effect from Yosemite southward by late afternoon, with snow levels expected to drop into the 4,500-foot range after sunset.

The Weather Service said the snow level would be down to 6,000 feet and below overnight in parts of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino ranges.

High temperature at Los Angeles Civic Center on Tuesday was 69 degrees, with relative humidity ranging from 55% to 73%. The high temperature recorded in Santa Ana was 71 degrees, while the mercury hit 74 degrees in Newport Harbor and a cool 67 in El Toro.

According to Jim Sleeper’s Orange County Almanac, published in 1982, the record high temperature in Orange County for Oct. 8 was 96 degrees, reported in Anaheim in 1951. The record low was a chilly 42 degrees measured in Orange in 1937. And the record rainfall was 1.09 inches, recorded in Santa Ana in 1904.

The forecast called for it to be a degree or two cooler today, with a 40% chance of rain during the day gradually tapering off to a 20% chance tonight.

Showers and thundershowers were predicted for most of Southern California overnight and this morning.