County Weathers Sun-and-Storm Combination Well

Nature couldn’t decide what kind of day it was supposed to be Sunday. Unable to settle on sunny or stormy, it served up a little of both for the last day of the holiday season.

After late-morning clouds moved in, drizzle turned into rain, then a brief downpour. There were a few more fender-bender accidents than usual, but otherwise, Orange County weathered the storm well, police and other safety officials said.

John Wayne Airport, which was slightly busier than usual as travelers wrapped up winter vacations, had no difficulties with the storm, a spokeswoman said.

The rain did not add up to much. San Juan Capistrano recorded the most, 0.4 inch, while Santa Ana and Anaheim received 0.05 inch each, Newport Beach reported 0.01, and the El Toro area saw only a trace, according to statistics compiled by WeatherData of Wichita, Kan., which provides information for The Times.

But don’t blame the wet stuff on El Nino, meteorologist John Sherwin said. The downpour was caused by a cold front centered over the Pacific Northwest.

“This is a typical winter rain event in California,” he said. “It happens every year, no matter how warm the ocean waters are off the coast of South America,” the phenomenon known as El Nino.

The cold front brought predictably colder temperatures: Anaheim, 59 degrees; Santa Ana, 64; El Toro, 57; Newport Beach, 61; San Juan Capistrano, 60; and Dana Point, 65.

Storm clouds should be gone by this afternoon, but temperatures will be somewhat chilly: the upper 50s and low 60s--”not warm by California standards,” Sherwin said. The inland canyons will have the coldest temperatures, he said.

Travelers returning to Southern California after holiday visits to wintry areas couldn’t agree Sunday whether that kind of forecast sounds good or bad.

Kevin Manning, a Manhattan Beach financial broker, was hoping for warmth. “Chicago weather was nicer than this, quite frankly. I was looking forward to coming back to warm weather,” he said.

But Kay Anderson, a La Verne secretary, was wishing for a cold snap. “It’s only 10 degrees warmer here than it was in Chicago. I’ve lived here 42 years, and I still miss cold winters.

“Stormy weather is fine for me,” Anderson said with a laugh. “I get enough sun.”

Also contributing to this report was Times staff writer Bob Pool.