High Surf Advisory, Rain Forecast For Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA —On Monday, a long swell arrived calling for high surf, rip currents and dangerous swimming conditions on OC beaches, the National Weather Service said. Last week, a broken sewer line near Aliso and Woods Canyon Wilderness Park sent nearly 1.4 million gallons of raw sewage into the ocean in Laguna Beach, resulting in closed beaches along the south Orange County coastline. That line was since repaired, the city says, though the residual bacteria has remained in and around area beaches.

As of noon Monday, the whole of the Orange County Coastline remained under a rain advisory, according to OC Health Care Agency.

The rain advisory, with bacteria levels exceeding health standards, will remain under effect until daily samples "meet recreational water quality standards for two consecutive days," a spokesperson from the City of Laguna Beach said. "It is not possible to accurately predict when the beaches will reopen."

The Environmental Health staff advises swimmers that levels of bacteria can rise significantly in ocean and bay waters adjacent to storm drains, creeks and rivers during and after rainstorms.

The long 14 to 18 second period west swell arrived on the coast, generating high surf conditions locally along the Orange County beaches.

"Waves and surf from 6 to 8 feet with local sets to 9 feet in San Diego nad 7 feet in Orange County would peak Monday afternoon and subside Tuesday morning.

Tides would be under 5 feet, maximum, the NWS said. Dangerous swimming conditions were forecast, with a risk of rip currents and local beach erosion.

Laguna Beach will see another storm this week, arriving on our shores Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service reported. The rainstorm will be shorter lived in nature than Thanksgiving week's storm, rain will back off, then reappear Saturday, forecasters say.

The impending storm will not be as cold or generate as much rain as last week's, said NWS meteorologist Lisa Phillips.

Between 1 and 2 inches of rain are expected in L.A. County, and up to 3 inches in the San Gabriel Mountains, she said, adding that the storm could trigger minor mud slides and debris flows in areas denuded by wildfire.

The NWS forecast partly cloudy skies in Orange County Monday and Tuesday, along with highs of 53 on Santiago Peak; 61 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feet; 63 in Fremont Canyon; 64 in Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 65 in Newport Beach; 66 in Yorba Linda and Trabuco Canyon; 67 in Mission Viejo; 68 in Fullerton and Anaheim; and 69 in Irvine. Temperatures were expected to drop 7 degrees lower amid rain on Wednesday.

In Los Angeles County, weather forecasters called for mostly cloudy skies Monday and Tuesday with highs of 56 degrees on Mount Wilson; 58 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 63 in Saugus; 65 in Avalon; 66 at LAX; 67 in Pasadena, San Gabriel and Burbank; and 68 in Woodland Hills, Long Beach and Downtown L.A. Temperatures will rise around 4 degrees Tuesday, then fall by as much as 11 degrees on Wednesday amid rain. The high is forecast to be 61 in Downtown L.A. on Wednesday, 62 in Woodland Hills and 55 in Palmdale and Lancaster.