Half-Inch of Rain Expected Today, More on Way

Half an inch or more of rain is expected in Orange County by midday today, with lingering thundershowers that could drop even more on the area before the storm front passes through.

“I would think that areas like Santa Ana and Anaheim could see a half to an inch by Monday afternoon and the mountain areas up to two inches,” said Rick Dittmann, meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasting services for The Times. “It’s a pretty vigorous system.”

Strong winds of up to 30 miles per hour are also expected from the south and southwest, Dittmann said. Snow was expected in the mountains at 5,000 to 6,000 feet overnight and as low as 4,000 feet this afternoon, he said.

By Tuesday the rain should be through, leaving partly cloudy skies and windy conditions. But another storm front is expected for Thursday and Friday, Dittmann said.

The windy conditions that accompanied the rain were a delight for surfers at Topanga State Beach on Sunday afternoon.

John Sterner and Will Zuckerman didn’t care about the rain splashing down on Sterner’s shiny black 1966 Volvo sedan, parked in a lot overlooking a premier surfing spot near Topanga State Beach Sunday afternoon.

“Even in a wet suit, you’re going to get wet anyhow,” said Sterner, 29, a Malibu plumber, as the first of what is expected to be almost a week of rain hit the Los Angeles area.

Zuckerman, 13, who said he was an “apprentice surfer,” nodded in agreement. “We’re out here every day,” he said. “The rain doesn’t make any difference as long as the surf’s good.”

The National Weather Service warned that it is extremely dangerous to fish in these troubled waters, or to gawk at the waves from exposed rocks or buildings, since very large waves can suddenly sweep across previously dry areas.

With the jet stream sinking to the south and affecting all of the southwestern part of the country, Dittmann said the precipitation could total as much as an inch or more, tapering off on Tuesday before resuming on Thursday and Friday.

“Needless to say, we’ve gone into a wet weather pattern,” Dittmann said. “Based on the past five or six years, we could use the snowpack and reservoirs getting filled. Of course, this storm or couple of storms won’t serve that purpose, but it’s a start.”

The cold front that came in over the weekend prompted Los Angeles city officials to open several shelters for the homeless.

In Fullerton and Santa Ana, shelters were expected to be opened by today, according to police in both cities and officials in charge of Orange County’s program to aid the homeless.

Times Staff Writer Mathis Chazanov contributed to this report.