Countywide : Rain Arrives, but Drought Stays Behind

A surprise storm dumped up to one inch of rain in some areas of Ventura County late Sunday and early Monday, but local water officials said it came too late to have much impact on the drought.

Gauges at the Fillmore and Ojai stations of the Ventura County Fire Department measured one inch of precipitation, dispatcher Cece Grives said.

Thousand Oaks received 0.74 of an inch and Simi Valley 0.58 of an inch.

“We’ll take anything we can get,” said Frederick Gientke, general manager for the United Water Conservation District, which serves the area between Ventura and Point Mugu, including the Oxnard Plains and the Santa Clara River to Lake Piru.

The storm was “unusually late” in the season, Gientke said. It will do little to alleviate the drought because warm weather and wind will evaporate most of the water, he said.

Although the rain is a relatively small amount, water demand will probably be cut back about 20% for a week, said James Hubert, a manager for the Calleguas Municipal Water District, which serves Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo and Oxnard.

The storm, which originated in the southern Gulf of Alaska Friday, strengthened and then moved south toward California, said Steve Burback, meteorologist for WeatherData Inc.

The forecast for today is for sunny skies with few clouds and a light wind, Burback said. Highs will reach the upper 60s to mid-70s and the lows tonight will be in the mid-50s. Some low clouds could form along the coast tonight.