But Most Areas Report Less : Front Brings Rainfall Ranging Up to an Inch

Orange County got a mild dose of rainfall Wednesday, compliments of a weather front that passed through Southern California. But forecasters predicted that seasonally warm temperatures and clear skies would return today.

The rain was the result of a Pacific storm that “battered� Northern California Tuesday and then moved into the southern section of the state early Wednesday, dumping more than an inch of rain in some locales, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported.

The most rainfall in the county was 1.06 inches, recorded at Santiago Peak, the Environmental Management Agency reported.

Laguna Beach recorded .45 of an inch and Santa Ana .41. The Marine Corps Air Station in El Toro recorded .42 of an inch. Costa Mesa and Newport Beach had the least rainfall Wednesday, recording .17 and .12 of an inch, respectively.

Downtown Los Angeles received .91 of an inch of rain Wednesday, the NWS said.

Temperatures in Orange County hovered in the low 60s, with Santa Ana recording a 63 for the county’s high.

Emmett Franklin, EMA rainfall recorder, said the rain put the county almost at normal levels of rainfall for this time of the year. “We’re within an inch of normal,� he added.

The weather service predicted partly cloudy skies for this morning, after overnight lows in the lows 50s. A high-pressure system should move into the area this afternoon, clearing skies and pushing the high temperatures to the high 60s or low 70s.

The front blew its way into Nevada and Arizona late Wednesday after causing some minor power outages and traffic problems, the NWS reported.

The weather service also noted that Wednesday’s front was more moist than unstable, producing a rather steady rain during the morning hours rather than intermittent showers.

The brief front also produced winds of 35 m.p.h. and heavy snow across the Sierra, causing reduced visibility in the passes.