Rain Returns To Orange County As Oil Spill Cleanup Continues

DANA POINT, CA — Break out the umbrellas and be prepared, Dana Point. A cold and windy storm is on the horizon for next week, and residents can anticipate experiencing rain showers Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

In Dana Point, there is a chance of patchy drizzle throughout Thursday with a 70 percent chance of rain gracing the coast Friday night. Saturday and Sunday are clear skies, with the promise of a Pacific storm returning on Monday, Oct. 11 and running through Tuesday.

While the ongoing California drought may make the most of this high chance of precipitation, the changing weather poses many problems for the U.S. Coast Guard, the department being tasked with cleaning the 144,000-gallon oil spill that has been creeping down Orange County's coast since last weekend.

Read More: CA Oil Spill: How To Help OC's Marine Wildlife After Disaster

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, storms in Orange County earlier this week may have contributed to the dispersal of the oil as it moves south. Erratic weather can make "skimming" ocean water for crude oil that much more challenging, and the movement of the oil depends entirely on the motion of the waves and the direction of the winds, among other factors.

Big waves caused by stormy weather could potentially bring the presence of oil onto the shores of Orange County beaches. On Friday, big waves will peak at 6.23 feet for the 10 a.m. high tide according to Tideschart.com.

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