There May Be a Drought, but It’s Still Pretty Wet

Mother Nature seemed intent on proving the bureaucrats wrong Wednesday as heavy rain and snow continued to fall throughout the state in the wake of an official declaration that California is suffering from a drought.

The National Weather Service said a total of .90 of an inch of rain from the chilly, two-day storm had fallen in Santa Ana by nightfall Wednesday, with occasionally intense thundershowers expected before dawn today that could cause flooding and landslides in canyon areas.

Janice Roth, a meteorologist for WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times, said as much as another inch of rain should fall in and around Orange County before the storm tapers off tonight and Friday morning.

And Roth said another storm “that could pack another punch” is expected to strike the state late Friday and early Saturday.

The rain snarled both morning and evening rush hour traffic on Wednesday, triggering nearly two dozen fender benders on Orange County’s rain-slickened freeways, none of them involving injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol. Sudden downpours and hailstorms pelted pedestrians attempting the quick dash from commuter vehicles to offices and shops. Heavy rain from the storm was reported in Northern California, with 2 1/2 inches recorded in the Sacramento area bedroom communities of Orangeville and El Dorado Hills.

Two Feet of Snow

As much as 2 feet of new snow was reported at scattered locations in the Sierra Nevada, with more continuing to fall Wednesday night.

Nonetheless, state officials declined to back off much from Tuesday’s declaration by state Water Resources Director David N. Kennedy that, because of two years of subnormal rainfall and snowpack, California is suffering from a drought.

“Well, I’m not sure if ‘drought’ is the term, but we’re still in a situation where we have to worry about carrying over enough water for next year,” Kennedy’s chief deputy, Bob Whiting, said Wednesday.

“This storm has been a big help, but the snow pack is still pretty spotty in the Sierra, only 50% of normal in most places,” he said. “We do have some weather patterns now that could bring more rain and snow, but the odds of bringing things back to normal this late in the year are pretty slim . . .

“But this storm is a big help,” Whiting said.

The 5 p.m. storm total in Orange County raised the season’s total here to 10.66 inches, still 1.34 inches short of the amount for the date.

Other rainfall totals from the storm by 5 p.m. Wednesday included .81 of an inch in El Toro, .70 of an inch in Newport Beach and 1.15 in San Juan Capistrano.

Roth said the wintry weather that swept the state on Wednesday was the product of a storm system that blustered down the Pacific Coast from the Gulf of Alaska on winds that gusted to gale force at times.

Funnel Clouds Reported

Thunderstorms raked the state’s midsection for the second straight day and funnel clouds were reported again in the San Joaquin Valley--this time near Coalinga. But unlike Tuesday, when a small tornado touched down near Stockton, there were no reports of damage.

Roth said the cool, damp weather system--the second in what may prove to be a continuing series--is following the normal storm track for this time of year, a track that was blocked for six weeks while the high altitude jet stream followed an unusually northerly course.

The rain, which began falling in Orange County on Tuesday night, will continue through this morning, Roth said.

“It’ll be partly cloudy Friday afternoon, and then there’ll be more clouds Friday night, with showers by Saturday morning,” she said.

Temperatures were cooler around Orange County on Wednesday.

The high in San Juan Capistrano was 66 The overnight low was 49 degrees in El Toro. Dampness added to the chill, with humidity ranging between 77% and 96%.

Roth said it will not be much warmer in the county, with high temperatures hovering in the high 50s near the coast and pushing only a little above 60 farther inland.

Times staff writer Mark I. Pinsky contributed to this article.