New Storms Jeopardize Brief Respite From Rain : Weather: Avocado and citrus farmers are pleased with the precipitation. But strawberry growers fear for their imminent harvests.

Ventura County residents received a respite from several days of soggy weather Sunday afternoon as rain-laden dark clouds gave way to a brilliant blue sky and cool breezes.

Today’s forecast called for partly cloudy skies, calm winds and daytime temperatures in the 50s, dipping to the 40s in some inland areas tonight, said Steve Burback, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

But meteorologists warned against scheduling any outdoor activities this week because a string of tropical storms appears to be waiting in the wings.

The next storm, spawned like last week’s rains off the Hawaiian Islands, is expected to hit Ventura County by Tuesday afternoon, Burback said.

“It’ll be moderate,” Burback said. “It may not be heavy, but it will last through Wednesday and amount to about an inch or more. . . . It’s not really a gully-washer, but it’s so wet already there could be some flooding.”

The rain is getting mixed reviews from Ventura County farmers.

“With ground saturation the way it is, the benefit of more rain hits a point of diminishing return,” said Rex Laird, executive director of the Ventura County Farm Bureau.

“I don’t see any more rain as a real benefit,” he said. “It would be better to have a drying-out period.”

A break in the wet weather would allow growers to lay down fungicides to fight mold, Laird said.

But more tropical-type storms accompanied by mild weather, he said, “could be the worst situation and cause mold and fungus to go crazy.”

A series of tropical storms may also play havoc with the imminent Ventura County strawberry harvest, said Terry Schaeffer, a National Weather Service agricultural meteorologist in Santa Paula.

“It’s hurting many strawberry growers,” he said.

With more rain, already muddy fields can turn swampy and make it difficult to harvest the crop, he said.

Moreover, Schaeffer said, “the heavy downpour can damage the blossoms, and if you eliminate a blossom you eliminate a berry. There are premium prices for the berries now if the growers can get them.”

Still, he said, “tree farmers”--such as those who grow citrus and avocados--are pleased with the rainy weather.

And the rain is beneficial because it is filling up reservoirs after years of drought, he added.

“So I’m enjoying forecasting rain for a change,” Schaeffer said.

Meteorologist Burback said the next break in the rain is expected to come Thursday.

But then, he said, he would be willing to lay “50-50” odds--the best he said he could do when he forecasts a week ahead--that “a real potent-looking storm” is on a Ventura County course for next weekend.

Like last week’s rainy weather, the weekend storm is moving toward the Southern California coast from the South Pacific, he said.

“That one could really dump good rain on Friday and Saturday,” he said.

Ventura County Rainfall

Here are rain statistics from 5 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Sunday from the Ventura County Flood Control District. Rainfall since Oct. 1, the start of the official rain year, is an estimate based on computer updates.

RAINFALL RAINFALL NORMAL LOCATION STORM TOTAL SINCE OCT. 1 THIS TIME OF YEAR Ojai 1.21 14.5 7.70 Ventura 1.46 8.82 5.93 Oxnard 1.48 7.62 5.35 Camarillo 1.52 7.82 5.28 Thousand Oaks 1.74 8.53 5.67 Simi Valley 1.99 9.53 5.30 Moorpark 1.38 7.53 5.57 Santa Paula 1.13 10.00 6.74 Fillmore 1.43 11.38 7.42