Here comes the sun

Marisa O’Neil

Look up at the sky. Is it -- could it be -- the sun?

That bright ball of light may make another appearance later today

or tomorrow after taking a brief hiatus for the latest round of

rainstorms.

The hit-and-miss weather that’s plagued Newport-Mesa for more than

a month is set to make way, at least for the time being, for clear

skies, according to the National Weather Service in San Diego. Though

swimsuit weather is still a ways off, temperatures will make it up to

the mid- to upper-60s, National Weather Service meteorologist Mark

Moede said.

“It’ll be pleasant, that’s for sure,” he said. “Much better than

New England, which is getting blasted by storm after storm.”

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa got off lightly Friday with only

moderate drizzle and little accumulation. The rain should leave town

by the end of the day today, Moede said.

The National Weather Service issued a high-surf advisory through

10 p.m. Sunday, predicting waves as high as nine feet off Orange

County. But as of Friday afternoon, the waves stayed closer to three

feet, Newport Beach Lifeguard Lt. Mike Halphide said.

What waves they did have, however, brought pieces of wood that

were 8 to 16 inches in diameter to the shoreline, he said.

“First we had squid, then bamboo, now huge logs,” he said.

Hundreds of squid washed up on local shores last week for unknown

reasons.

The County of Orange Health Care Agency issued a warning on Friday

for swimmers to stay out of the ocean for at least three days

following this, or any, storm. Rain and runoff causes elevated

bacterial levels from fertilizers, road oils, decomposing vegetation

and other sources, the warning stated.

The California Highway Patrol on Friday reported about three times

the normal number of traffic accidents in Orange County, Officer

Katie Lundgren said. However, no major accidents occurred on Newport

Beach or Costa Mesa freeways, she said.

Neither Newport Beach nor Costa Mesa police reported any

significant rain-related problems.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4618 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.