Mother’s Day Should Be a Cheery One

Light springtime showers that dampened Orange County Wednesday night and ended a five-week dry spell won’t return today, but the clouds will hang around another day, weather forecasters said Thursday.

“It was just a little shower in May, that’s all,” said Pat Rowe, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service. She said partly cloudy skies are expected in the county today. But the skies should clear for the rest of the Mother’s Day weekend, and the days should be mostly sunny, she added.

Although Orange County should’t have any rainfall, a 10% chance of rain is forecast for the Los Angeles basin today.

Frankie Shaw, a weather specialist, said an eastward storm was caused by moist, subtropical air that became caught in a circulating low pressure system over the state. “The clouds are still over us because we’re sort of on the backside of the storm right now,” she said.

May Showers ‘Typical’

According to Greg Cunningham, a county hydrographer, Wednesday’s storm dropped just .09 of an inch of rain in Santa Ana, and .11 of an inch in Costa Mesa. But it was the first significant rainfall since March 28, when .20 of an inch fell on Santa Ana, he said. The recent storm boosted Santa Ana’s rain total for the year to 9.87 inches.

Cunningham said the showers are “typical” in May. “Looking back at the monthly records, I can see that it usually rains in May.” He noted that since 1908, there have been 51 wet Mays.

In Santa Ana, Thursday’s high temperature reached 65, while the low was 55. Temperatures are expected to warm slightly today and this weekend. The inland cities should have highs in the low 70s, while the beaches should top the mid-60s.

Those planning a weekend by the sea can expect two- to four-foot surf, the weather service said. Water temperatures will be in the low 60s. Visitors in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains can expect fair skies with 25-m.p.h winds and afternoon temperatures in the 60s.