LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A storm that drenched the Southland has mostly cleared out but left reminders in the form of high surf along the coast today and a forecast of showers and thunderstorms in Orange County and on Santa Catalina Island.
The National Weather Service forecast for Orange County called for isolated showers and thunderstorms this morning and this afternoon, with the chance of measurable precipitation set at a high 50 percent.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms was also reported for Santa Catalina Island, but the chance of measurable precipitation was only 20 percent.
Also forecast for Santa Catalina were winds of between 15 and 25 miles per hour this morning. Winds of between 10 and 20 mph were forecast in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley -- two areas where the wind is generally much stronger.
Along the coast, a high surf advisory will be in effect until 9 Wednesday morning. The NWS said the impact will include beach erosion, sneaker waves that can knock people off jetties and rocks, and rip currents that will pose a high risk to swimmers and surfers.
An NWS statement urged beachgoers to ``use extreme caution on area beaches -- stay well back from the water, stay off of jetties and rocks, and never turn your back on the ocean.''
The surf is expected to be between 7 and 12 feet today in L.A. County, falling to between 5 and 8 feet tonight, forecasters said. In Orange County, surf of 5 to 8 feet is forecast, along with sets of 11 feet, falling to between 4 and 6 feet Wednesday morning.
Temperatures, meanwhile, will be cool. The NWS forecast partly cloudy skies in L.A. County today and highs of 38 degrees Fahrenheit on Mount Wilson; 47 in Palmdale; 48 in Lancaster; 51 in Saugus; 52 in Avalon; 54 in Pasadena; 55 in Burbank, San Gabriel and Woodland Hills; 56 in Long Beach and at LAX; and 57 in downtown L.A.
Partly cloudy skies were also expected in Orange County, along with highs of 53 in Mission Viejo; 54 in Laguna Beach; San Clemente and Yorba Linda; and 55 in Newport Beach, Fullerton, Anaheim and Irvine.
Sunny skies are in the forecast for Wednesday and the next several days. Temperatures are forecast to be in the high 50s and low 60s Wednesday, slightly higher Thursday and Friday, in the high 60s on Saturday, low 70s Sunday and mid 70s Monday.
Since October 1, downtown L.A. has received more than 13 inches of rain, compared to 6.26 inches, which the NWS says is normal for this time span.
The lion's share of rain from the last storm was over by late Monday morning. By then, some high rainfall figures had been recorded in Los Angeles County, according to NWS figures: 4.96 inches at Mt. Baldy, 4.03 in Long Beach, 3.44 at Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale, 2.35 in Woodland Hills, and 1.55 in Poppy Park in the Antelope Valley.