4:15 p.m. Wednesday
An NWS radar image taken at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday shows the storm has intensified and extends more than 100 miles offshore.
The most powerful storm to hit Orange County in more than two years slammed the region with driving rain overnight, dropping close to 2 inches of precipitation in Yorba Linda and other cities, causing widespread street flooding.
The county averages only 1.31 inches of rain during the entire month of November, and John Wayne Airport received 1.82 inches from this storm, which began with a clap of thunder about 9:11 p.m. on Tuesday.
The rain fell hard or steady for roughly the next six hours in most areas, creating street flooding from Seal Beach to Foothill Ranch. Forecasters say more showers will could fall this afternoon and evening.
John Wayne Airport has received 1.82 inches this month, and 1.85 inches since the rainy season began on July 1. The historic average since July 1 is 1.63 inches. However, for the year, the airport has recorded 7.27 inches. The historic average is 10.61 inches.
“This didn’t bust the drought, and high pressure will build in and we won’t get rain for about two weeks,” says Stan Wasowski, a weather service forecaster.
Here’s a sample of rainfall totals from the storm, current through 4:15 p.m.
Sources: County of Orange, National Weather Service
The storm began just after 9 p.m. Tuesday, slowing traffic on P.C.H. in Sunset Beach. Image by Gary Robbins, The Register
Readers are urged to email reports about the rain to Sciencedude at grobbins@ocregister.com. Please include your full name and hometown. Photos are welcome. (Please send .jpegs).
Follow Sciencedude on Twitter at grobbins, and add him as a friend on Facebook. Also, please e-mail Sciencedude images of the coming storm, and please include your name and hometown. Send .jpegs to grobbins@ocregister.com
Bring it on !!!!
Why would Anaheim get more rain than Huntington beach? Is it because the foothills cause the clouds to back up?
LOL…oh no theres a cloud in the sky - - RAIN
Anyone know the science behind why the heaviest rains always seem to come while we’re sleeping? Is it because the sun helps evaporate the water before it hits?
Yes, Anaheim tends to get more rain because it is at a higher elevation than Huntington Beach.
let it snow!!!!!!
Interesting information. Lets hope we do get some rain, last time there was all this hype, then nothing.
Why possible thunderstorms, Gary?
CC - Last few storms had barely any tropical moisture fetch. This one is geared to go with a large amount and you will get good rains from it. I really like how this is shaping up
Kevin
Hi. Heavy rain can fall at any time of the day or night.
Rain? Maybe this is the year of the 100 Year Flood of the Santa Ana River. Do we have evacuation centers in HB, FV and Santa Ana above flood level?
To LocalJane: I spoke with forecaster Ted Mackecnie early this morning. He says that that a major cold front will past through Orange County starting late Wednesday. The cold front will feature a lot of turbulent, unstable air that can produce thunderstorms. Ted also said that water spouts are possible.
Cold is the key, there is always moisture in the air but as the mercury drops so does the rain. Temperature decreases with altitude but heavy, moisture laden clouds are also forced to “lose some weight” going up and over mountains and in doing so expend most of their potential before crossing deserts. O.C. (and to a lesser extent L.A.) frequently gets cheated due to the mountains in the north. Further when a storm does come our way the first showers fall on Catalina expending some of the potential further. I don’t claim to be a weather man but merely felt to share my observations over the last few decades of local storm systems.
boo!! i wanted more rain in huntington beach!!! >=/
I’m running the 5k Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. I don’t want to run in the rain
I highly doubt Anaheim will get 2.20 inches of rain. From looking at the water vapor views over the ocean it looks like we will get a few good hours of rain late tonight, but for 2.20 inches of rain to fall in Anaheim it will have to rain at a good moderate steady rainfall for 8-12 hours (which doesn’t happen too often in Orange County) or it would have to rain for several hours at a heavy rainfall to drop 2.20 inches of rain. We will see tomorrow. Local media loves to hype it up because we tend to tune in, which makes their ratings go up which equals more money from advertisers. Storm Watch 2008! Can’t wait to see the helicopters in the sky point west on the 6pm news telling the viewers they are following heavy clouds approaching the coast with massive amounts of light drizzle! In any case, doesn’t hurt to prepare for mudslides in case we do get a good amount of rain…here in S. Cal it can go either way..that’s why they say up to 4 inches of rain can occur…what that means is the storm can drop light drizzle up to 4 inches of rain. Enjoy whatever rain we do get!
I think it might sprinkle and thats about it.
Irvine is the only city on the map with no rainfall amount. Newport Beach will get 1.72″ but Irvine stays completely dry!
The NWS has forecast the following amounts of rain will fall during six hour periods, beginning today. By definition, this is a forecast, which means it involves uncertainty. The radar system NWS uses can only clearly see 70-90 miles from its base in the Santa Ana Mountains. And satellite images provide a very limited amount of information about storms. Yeah, the sat images look good on TV. But satellites do a poor job of looking into clouds to measure moisture. It’s not uncommon for Anaheim to get two inches of rain, especially when the forecast calls for the precipitation to fall over a long period of time.
ANAHEIM
0.00 0.06 0.41 0.98 0.22 0.03 0.17 0.13 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
The difficult part about forecasting rainfall amounts here in an area where the storms come off the ocean is we don’t get to see how much rain just fell on land 200 miles to the west as they can do in any area to the East of us. That’s why it’s easy to forecast rainfall amounts so easily in Iowa or Ohio, NY, etc…
In any case, good discussions…can’t wait to see what really occurs…I do see clouds outside…..hmmmm
Huntington Beach may not get as much rain as Anaheim but we have higher surf and better surfing conditions than Anaheim does.
Rain flows downhill and it all winds up in the beach anyway.
Where is Anaheim anyway.. Somewhere on the outskirts of Azusa and Cucamonga! All Aboard!
I’ll believe it when I see it.
It looks like the forecasted rainfall amounts are actually for the entire storm (ending Thursday at 8 a.m.). Perhaps Anaheim may still receive 2.2 inches of rain before then. We’ll just have to wait and see…
Folks: The story doesn’t say 2.2 inches of rain will fall in Anaheim tonight. That is the forecast for the entire storm, which is expected to last until Thursday morning. The chart clearly states that these are projected totals for the entire storm. And keep in mind, the weather service will refine its estimates as the storm gets closer to shore. The radar system located in the Santa Ana Mountains can only “see” 70-90 miles out to the west. And, as mentioned earlier, the satellite images provided limited information about the moisture content of the clouds.
Gary I am confused if the radar only sees 70-90 miles out how can they know how much rain will fall 12 hours ahead of the storm?
8:20PM in Lake Forest ~ rain started and it’s very steady and hard. FYI.
8:45 PM HB only a brief bit of rain so far, no rain now, break in clouds.
Storm watch 2008 - I wont be able to sleep because of the gripping TV coverage!
I hope Mammoth gets a piece of this too.
Hopefully it will help to cleanse out all of the political corruption from OC. I doubt it though.
Oooh, we get a little rain once in a while around here and we call it a storm. There’s no need to fear the rain especially since it’s always so conveniently planned out for the night and gone in the morning for the commute! This kind of convenience could only be guaranteed in southern california where the weather couldn’t be more controlled. Anyone ever learn about all the cloudbusting, chemtrails, and cloud seedlings the government uses? What more is that all meterologists know about these things but cannot mention them to the public without getting in trouble. That’s why once in a while you’ll hear them say “that’s what we have planned for today” (and that is not sarcastically or figuratively said by them either). Pay attention to the white trail clouds in the sky and especially when the weather cools down. Those chemtrails and other military base testing causes our temperatures to rise and climate to be dry. I guess we can’t claim to be in the Mediterranean climate zone any longer.
Crumpet is catching on… yes they have it planned out how much they’ll let it rain. I mean we had enough fires to feed the insurance companies, now we have to let it rain a little to make people at ease. And btw it would rain more here like this if chemtrails were not used.
I’m sick and tired of people complaining about rain when we’re told to worry about droughts on every non-rainy day, which is basically every day.
I’m glad it’s raining, but more is needed. MORE RAIN!!!
Man, Gary, this is late!
It’s pouring hard in Dana Point.
Now why can’t we have some nice easy rain spread out over some time?
i’m in fountain valley. it’s pouring here. the street gutters are flooded here.
i’m glad my house is on a elevated foundation.
It’s been a hard constant rain here in Foothill Ranch for over an hour now. Minor back yard and street flooding. Does anyone have a rainfall total for Foothill Ranch, 241/Alton area?
We just need to pray that nothing else happens to the people in yorba linda… we lost our houses… now i hope this rain will take out the rest of our houses….
correction…… NOT TAKE OUT THE REST OF OUR HOUSES
Little brother has just informed me that the Box Canyon Park area is now under mandatory evacuation.
The evacuations in the three Yorba Linda areas are now MANDATORY
Mandatory evacuations are in effect for the Brush Canyon area, the Box Canyon area, and the North Fairmont/San Antonio area.
During the manadatory evacuation, the Thomas Lasorda, Jr. Field House (4701 Casa Loma Avenue) will be available as a shelter location.
Gary, I have 2 rain gauges in my front & back yard because I found one in my garage. both of them read 2.48 inches of rain from 830 pm, to 530 am wednesday morning.it Rained hard hard.I hope it rains more in the next few days, just not all at once. Marty Goltra.Beach & Garfield HB.Bring it on.
Nina there is no just thing as Chem Trials……I was in the Air Force for years, you are seeing water vapor from jet aircraft at high altitude.
You are getting this false infromation from Art Bells radio show Coast to Coast. I bet you believe man never landed on the moon also , it was all filmed in the desert?
Gary they dont cloud seed any more do they?
I wish I could be there for the rain. I remember OC could get excited with a few tenths of an inchof rain let alone INCHES. Stay out of the Santa Ana River!!!!!
I moved to the Mid-Atlantic area where several inches of rain (or snow…yuck!!!) is common. I want to move back to OC and as soon as I find a decent job I’m comin’ back. 10 years of this stuff…..enough is enough.
Stay safe, the roads suck in the rain. Help those who need help and you will get through this rain. See you on the sunny side.
I heard that clap of thunder! I am in HB and I swear it was right overhead! Woohoo almost 2in. bring it on baby!
I am a native So. Californian but now live in the Northwest. It seems that the weather up here has gone down there. Maybe some of that warm Santa Ana wind could come up here for an exchange!
According to the numbers Anaheim has received 1.2 inches of rain so far. According the the NWS forecast they predicted 2.2 inches of rain by Thurs 8am. It will need to rain just as much as it did all night to get to their predicted number…From looking at the radar doesn’t look like a lot of rain over the ocean, however with the unstable conditions today we could get some heavy outbursts of rain. I knew 2.2 inches was a number that would have to pour for hours to get to….we will see…In any case enjoy the “weather” because this weekend it’s back to summer weather…ahhh, gotta love S.Cal weather this time of year…
it didn’t really seem that hard to me last night in Orange, today it’s sort of clearing. more slow and steady. just saying.
didn’t really seem like a month’s worth of rain - but I guess on an average basis it’s really true…
Rainfall totals can vary greatly within a city. The main county gauge in Anaheim says 1.54 inches of rain have fallen during this storm, through 9 a.m. I’ve had email from readers saying that parts of Huntington Beach received more than 2 inches.
I live in between Angel Stadium and UCI Medical Center, maybe we could get some readings for those in the future
then again maybe 1.54 is Angel stadium
we can use more rain for the rest of this year.
When the Inca, Aztec and Toltec civilizations failed it was becase of drought caused by those pesky chemtrails and UFO’s zipping all over the Nazca airports in Peru.
If you can’t learn from hysteria you are doomed to go bald and run around in circles dodging raindrops.
Whoopie!!! It rained.
I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain………
Yesss! No watering for a while! But you think that those cloulds could have put in the extra effort to go from 1.97 to 2.0.
Nina, go put your aluminum hat back on. They’re coming to get you.
the end is near!!?????