Raindrops Keep Fallin’

HUNTINGTON BEACH — Expect an instant replay of Sunday’s soggy weather today, and perhaps Tuesday and Wednesday as well, forecasters said.

The steady but unspectacular storm that pelted Orange County on Sunday, bringing more than an inch of rain in some areas, could linger until Thursday, said Curtis Brack, a meteorologist for WeatherData, which provides forecasts for The Times.

A storm system based in northern Nevada and Utah is sending cold air into Southern California and sucking moisture from the Pacific Ocean, Brack said.

“The rain should stay fairly light, but it will be mostly off and on, until the storm heads out of the area,” he said. “The flood and mudslide potential is pretty low, but it might not clear up until the end of the week.”

Sunday’s storm dropped 1.34 inches on San Juan Capistrano, 0.98 of an inch on Newport Beach, and 0.91 of an inch on Lake Forest and Dana Point, he said.

The storm brought the year’s rainfall totals (calculated from July 1) to 10.48 inches in Santa Ana, far exceeding the 4.8 inches considered normal for this date, Brack said.

The precipitation did not deter surfers from riding the 2- to 4-foot waves off the Huntington Beach Pier on Sunday, perhaps because the 57-degree water was four degrees warmer than the air, said Lt. Steve Davidson, a marine safety officer for the city.

Despite a warning of waves up to 7 feet, the heavy surf failed to materialize, Davidson said. “These guys are here every day,” Davidson said. “As soon as the wind died down, they were out there, but there are a lot fewer of them than normal for a Sunday.”

Brack predicted temperatures ranging from the high 50s to the low 60s for today.

Despite the rain, two residential fires were reported in the county Sunday, including a blaze that displaced an Irvine family of four and did $50,000 in damage to their two-story home, said Dennis Shell, a spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority.

The fire, which began at 11:46 a.m. and was controlled in 22 minutes by 21 firefighters, was caused by a malfunctioning water heater in the garage and spread to the attic, Shell said.

“People should remember to keep all combustible materials away from water heaters, and have them checked periodically,” Shell said.

Firefighters also quickly extinguished a Stanton garage fire caused by a floor heater, Shell said.