Blue Skies and Warmer Air Predicted : Storm System on Its Way Out; El Toro Records Most Rain

The storm system that brought gray skies and rain to Orange County over the weekend is expected to be out of the area by this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The forecasters said Sunday that a high pressure system should move in starting today and continuing through Tuesday.

However, until that system arrives, there will still be a moist air mass over the mountains and coastal zones, keeping those areas mostly cloudy and with a chance of local drizzles.

The cloudiness is expected to begin decreasing this afternoon, with mostly clear skies tonight and Tuesday with a warming trend.

El Toro recorded the most rain Sunday, receiving .27 of an inch, while precipitation in Santa Ana amounted to .21 and Newport Beach received .18.

Santa Ana and San Juan Capistrano recorded the highest temperatures in the county Sunday, both reaching 71 degrees. It was 64 in Newport Beach and 63 in El Toro. The lows ranged from 54 in San Juan Capistrano to 58 in Santa Ana.

The forecast for today in Orange County is for temperatures in the mid-60s, following overnight lows in the mid to high 50s. Offshore, there will light variable winds becoming west to southwest at 10 to 16 knots this afternoon and evening. There will be a southwest swell of two to three feet.

The nice weather should continue through the rest of the week, forecasters said, although there will be some morning low clouds and fog.

The mountain areas are expected to continue to be unseasonably warm with highs ranging from the mid-40s to the mid-50s and lows in the 20s and 30s, while it will reach into the 60s in the upper deserts and the 70s in the lower deserts.