Rain Heads West, but It May Return : Weather: Armories open but they have few takers as it dries up somewhat. Fenders are bent and farmers welcome the wet stuff.

National Guard armory shelters opened in Fullerton and Santa Ana on Monday, providing havens for dozens of homeless people who sought refuge from a cold, rainy weather front that blew through Orange County.

Drivers also struggled with the squall, racking up a string of traffic accidents on county roads and highways. Meanwhile, local farmers, desperate as California’s drought enters its sixth year, welcomed even the modest rainfall, though some worried that it could damage crops that are reaching maturity.

And though the long-awaited rainfall seems unlikely to dent the drought, more is on the way: Forecasters say the heaviest rain is expected tonight.

“This is the first good system I’ve seen in about two months,” said meteorologist Stephen Burback of WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

The storm, a low-pressure system that is part of a larger front over the Gulf of Alaska, dropped its rainfall and retreated over the Pacific Ocean Monday, Burback added. It is expected to return today, however, bringing cloudy skies and scattered showers to the county and cooler temperatures inland.

Temperatures will be in the middle to upper 50s, about 5 to 10 degrees below normal, Burback said. Showers are expected to last through Wednesday.

And while the storm snarled traffic and drove down temperatures across the county, some areas escaped without any moisture at all.

Since Saturday night, Costa Mesa reported .32 of an inch of precipitation, the high mark of any of the county’s recording stations. Lofty Santiago Peak, meanwhile, received none, and all areas of the county remain far below seasonal rainfall averages.

With the return of the storm today, Burback said, South County residents will likely feel most of its impact. “The closer you get to San Diego, the heavier it will be,” he predicted.

Maj. Frank Limas of the Santa Ana National Guard Armory said that facility, which doubles as a homeless shelter in bad weather, opened because of the rain. Workers at that armory and another one in Fullerton braced for up to 100 people, but the rain tapered off by early evening and only a few dozen homeless people showed up.

Orange County shelters open for the homeless when the temperature dips below 40 degrees, or when it is colder than 50 degrees but there is at least a 50% chance of rain.

County officials said last week that new state guidelines allowing use of the armories on a 24-hour basis regardless of weather conditions would not be implemented locally because of a lack of funds. In addition, shelter officials are still awaiting word on whether the program will receive a $191,000 federal grant that is needed to finance operations this year.

On the highways Monday, bald tires and slippery road surfaces combined to produce a slew of accidents. California Highway Patrol Officer Angel Johnson said the rain caused double the usual number of accidents on freeways, especially at the El Toro Y. About 18 accidents were reported by mid-afternoon, she said, mostly “solo spin-outs” which she blamed mostly on bald tires.

No major injuries were reported.

While the county’s farmers have eagerly awaited the rain, it took a modest toll on some crops when it finally began to fall late Saturday.

David Christenson, a row-crop manager at Treasure Farms in Irvine, said the rain damaged about 5% of the farm’s mature fruit, causing some cracking. One place where the rain caused almost no noticeable affect, however, was among the county’s stalwart surfers. Huntington Beach, for instance, got its regular complement.

“Quite a few people were surfing,” said Claude Panis, a Huntington Beach lifeguard. “The waves were pretty high.”

Rainy and Cold

Wet and chilly weather will continue through today, caused by a winter storm that has dropped rain across parts of Southern California since Sunday night. Just over one-tenth of an inch of rain has fallen across central Orange County, causing several fender-benders but not denting the drought by much. Low temperatures, which have forced National Guard armories to open for the homeless, have also resulted in fires from improper use of fireplaces.

Storm Rainfall in Inches (Rainfall as of Monday evening) Fullerton: .12 Santa Ana: .13 Costa Mesa: .32 Irvine: .12 Newport Beach: .16 El Toro: .04 San Juan Capistrano: .12

Drought Watch (Rainfall to date, in inches*) Last Year: .32 This Year: .67 Average: 2.57

Fireplace Safety Tips

* If the fireplace is small or for gas use only, do not attempt to start a fire with oversize logs.

* Don’t treat your fireplace as an incinerator. Burning cardboard, newspapers and other trash only produces an explosive and rapidly burning fire that is dangerous and can literally ignite your chimney.

* Oak, hickory, birch, walnut and other hardwoods that burn cleaner and longer are recommended. They do not burn as quickly as eucalyptus, cypress and pines, which also have oily substances that blacken chimneys with creosote build up.

* Santa Ana Measurements Source: Orange County Environmental Management Agency and Orange County Fire Department