Cold Rain, Big Surf to Pound OC

Rain is expected in Orange County today, ushering in several days of occasionally damp weather, and heavy surf will start pounding the coast Thursday as result of a large swell building in the Pacific Ocean, forecasters said.

National Weather Service forecasters said ``a rather strong Pacific cold front'' will slide into the region generating rain and gusty winds.

The rain -- though not necessarily the high winds -- will spread to the region late this afternoon or early evening, they said. Precipitation, mostly in the form of showers, is in the forecast through Monday.

Today's rainfall is expected to be light -- between a 10th and a third of an inch, with three-quarters of an inch across south-facing mountain slopes, according to the NWS. The snow level will remain above 7,500 feet.

Highs today and over the next several days in the Greater L.A. area will
be in the mid 60s.
Also expected this week is heavy surf along the coast as a result of a huge swell being generated by two storms -- one in the north-central Pacific, the other in the eastern Pacific. The strongest surf will be Friday and Saturday.

``Surf and swell conditions will be hazardous to anyone entering the water from very early Thursday morning through this weekend, with dangerous rip current expected,'' an NWS advisory said. ``Minor beach erosion and localized flooding of low-lying areas may also occur...''

A high surf advisory will be in effect from 6 a.m. Thursday to 10 p.m. Saturday.

 - City News Service