Latest Rain Just Drop in Bucket; Season Still Low

Drizzle drifted across Ventura County Thursday morning, wetting roads and whetting the appetites of farmers hoping for serious rain.

Less than one-tenth of an inch fell throughout the county, leaving the season’s rainfall totals well below normal for this time of year.

“It’s just way too little. It’s practically nothing,” said John Newman of Oxnard’s Newman Ranch Co. His lemon trees, Newman said, respond better to rain than to irrigation.

“There’s just no substitute for that sweet, sweet water,” he said.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service said there is a slim chance of light rain Sunday. High temperatures should range between 60 and 65 during the weekend and may hit the low 70s Monday and Tuesday. Lows are predicted in the mid-40s to low 50s.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

County Rainfall

Here are rainfall figures from the Ventura County Flood Control Department for the 24-hour period ending at 8 a.m. Thursday. Oct. 1 is the beginning of the official rain year.

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Rainfall Rainfall Normal rainfall Location last 24 hours since Oct. 1 to date Camarillo 0.02 2.83 6.72 Casitas Dam 0.08 4.18 11.43 El Rio 0.03 2.99 7.29 Fillmore 0.00 2.61 9.35 Moorpark 0.04 3.15 7.22 Ojai TR 2.64 10.16 Upper Ojai TR 2.84 10.87 Oxnard 0.03 2.39 7.01 Piru TR 2.74 8.35 Santa Paula TR 2.78 8.58 Simi Valley 0.05 2.54 6.90 Thousand Oaks 0.09 3.41 7.41 Ventura Govt. Center 0.01 3.41 7.76

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TR means a trace amount of rainfall, below 0.01 inch