COUNTYWIDE : Storm May Deliver 2 Inches of Rainfall

A storm carrying up to two inches of rain for Ventura County cities and more for the mountains was forecast to arrive by this morning, bringing a hint of a wet spring ahead and good news for area farmers.

The coastal areas including Ventura and Oxnard were forecast to receive more than an inch of rain while the county’s inland valleys, including the Santa Paula and Fillmore areas, were forecast to receive up to two inches.

The mountains in Los Padres National Forest could get up to three inches of rain from the storm, said meteorologist Rae Strange, with Pacific Weather Analysis in Montecito.

“It looks like a very wet start to spring,” Strange said.

Temperatures in the county were expected to remain in the 50s and 60s with nighttime lows in the mid to upper 40s.

The storm was expected to linger into Saturday, with the sky partially clearing by Sunday. Another storm is expected to hit the area on Monday, but it will carry less moisture, Strange said.

A normal spring, which begins with the equinox today and the first full day of spring on Saturday, usually brings about two inches of rain for most areas of Ventura County.

“So if we get two inches next week, that cinches us for a wet spring,” he said.

Area growers, who are hoping for more rain to prod their fledgling Valencia oranges into full-size fruit, were delighted with the prospect of a wet spring.