More Rain, More Rain Coming This Way

The latest, but certainly not the last, storm to hit Southern California this season brought some frightening surprises along with the usual wind, rain and traffic jams.

About 14 funnel clouds or waterspouts developed off the coast of Orange County on Tuesday, one hitting ground briefly in Huntington Beach, but causing no damage.

“I saw four funnel clouds offshore, and they came pretty close to touching down,” said Huntington State Beach lifeguard Leon Pickens. “There was one that was coming in right over us and it was pretty big, but it dissipated before it came to shore.”

Others stayed offshore near Huntington and Sunset beaches, officials said.

Funnel clouds and waterspouts--the former don’t touch the surface of the water and the latter do--extend downward from storm clouds. Joe Dandrea, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, estimated they might have reached about a mile in height Tuesday.

The phenomena are caused by warm air rising into cooler air. Pockets can cause the air to start spinning, developing into a funnel or a spout.

Meanwhile, homeowners in hard-hit Laguna Niguel were enduring a storm that was expected to deliver two inches of rain by this morning, according to WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

Recent storms have undermined a hillside in Laguna Niguel, badly damaging several homes and causing several others to topple. More than a dozen more homes are threatened because “the hill is still moving a little bit,” city spokesperson Solveig Darner said.

The storm also dropped snow on communities from La Crescenta to Palmdale, with accumulations of up to four inches shutting down the Antelope Valley Freeway. Snow also fell in Leona Valley, Lake Hughes and Littlerock.

The storm is the beginning of a cold, soggy weather pattern expected to last for at least a week, according to WeatherData. There’s a chance of scattered showers throughout the day today. Thursday may be the only dry day before a second storm moves in Friday, with a third storm expected Sunday.

The storm system also is bringing unseasonably cool temperatures that could dip into the upper 30s by tonight, according to WeatherData.

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Stormy Forecast

Three storm systems will make their way through the county during the next five days bringing cold, wet weather. Expect highs in the upper 50s to low 60s and overnight lows in the 40s.

Today: Light scattered showers, breezy and cool

Thursday: Variable cloudiness; dry and warmer

Friday: Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms; colder temperatures

Saturday: Chance of showers with warmer temperatures as low pressure system moves in

Sunday: Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms with cooling trend

Source: WeatherData Inc.