Rain forecast to ring in the new year in Orange County

A mild bout of rain that began to fall in Orange County Tuesday should taper off Wednesday, but an even wetter storm is forecast to arrive as revelers ring in the new year later this week.

A thick layer of high clouds formed over Southern California Tuesday ahead of precipitation that was forecast to reach Orange County by sunset, according to National Weather Service forecasts. About half an inch of rain was expected to come down along the coast, NWS meteorologist Phil Gonsalves said.

Laguna Beach resident Jorge Carey watches the surf as a light rain begins to fall at Aliso Beach Park in Laguna Beach on Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“We’ll get mostly beneficial precipitation,” he said Tuesday. “It will fill reservoirs, but it won’t be heavy enough to cause serious flooding. And we’ll get some green-up, which should help mitigate any fire potential, at least in the short term.”

No flood warnings were scheduled in Orange County as of Tuesday evening, but a high surf advisory will be in effect along Southern California coasts through 4 p.m. Thursday. Dangerous rip currents were likely along the shore, and waves may rise to as high as 8 feet or taller at west-facing beaches.

Southern California will begin to dry out Wednesday afternoon. But a more powerful storm will reach the region this weekend, with its heaviest downpours forecast for late Saturday evening, Dec. 31, according to forecasts. That means some major fireworks displays to celebrate the new year, like one hosted at Disneyland in Anaheim, may have to be canceled.

Cloudy skies and below-average temperatures should linger through the week and into the start of 2023. On Friday, daytime highs were forecast to peak at just 59 degrees in Laguna Beach, 60 degrees in Huntington Beach, 61 degrees in Newport Beach and 62 degrees in Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley. Temperatures were expected to drop into the low 50s after dark.

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