Wet Enough for You? It Isn’t for Fire Officials

First cold. Then wet. Southern Californians who demand nothing less from April than perfect, sunny skies were disappointed by Mother Nature this weekend. But fire officials said Sunday’s rainfall--less than a 10th of an inch--does little to stave off fears that 1999 is shaping up to be one of the worst fire seasons in years.

“The rain is doing a good job of dusting off plants and keeping the ground moist, but we still have our eye on a very challenging fire season,” said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Scott Brown.

Orange County has recorded about 7.3 inches of rain since June 1. The county’s average is 11.73 inches during the same time period, according to Ellie Budai, a meteorologist for WeatherData, which provides weather information for The Times.

Last year, El Nino rains spiked the measurement to nearly 29 inches by this time of year. That rainfall dramatically increased vegetation growth. But this year’s dry spells mean all that vegetation is dry, creating conditions similar to 1993, when wildfires ravaged Laguna Beach, Malibu and Altadena.

“I think all the experts agree, things are setting up for a dry season,” Brown said.

He predicted that this year’s fire season will begin early--in late April instead of the usual June or July--and urged residents to clear brush from around their homes to reduce the danger of wildfires.

Aside from some unhappy spring breakers along the coast and some delayed motorists on the freeways, county residents did not have any serious problems from the rain.

Despite hazardous conditions on rain-slicked roadways, police reported only minor accidents in Buena Park, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Fullerton, Huntington Beach and Westminster.

Late Sunday, several minor accidents on the Santa Ana Freeway resulted in lane closures, but there were no major injuries. Huntington Beach police closed Pacific Coast Highway between Warner Avenue and Sea Point.

And the worst of the wet and cold looks to be over for the season.

Temperatures are expected to warm up today, with highs in the low 60s. Even warmer weather is predicted for Tuesday with temperatures in the mid-70s and mostly sunny skies through the week.

Sunday’s weather was considerably chillier, with temperatures in the 40s across the county.

The unseasonably brisk weather was caused by cold fronts from Alaska and the Aleutian Islands flowing down the West Coast. The absence of a high-pressure pattern over the Pacific Ocean allowed the cold air to settle in, WeatherData’s Budai said.

High pressure over the ocean generally bumps this weather away from Southern California, she said.

The good news is that a high-pressure system is building right now. “This should be the last weather pattern of this kind for the season,” Budai said.