Showers likely today; surf conditions remain poor

Costa Mesa and Newport Beach residents could face a wet weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

The forecast for the weekend is partly cloudy with a chance of showers today and rain more likely Saturday night, said Stan Wasowski of the National Weather Service. According to Wasowski, Saturday could be a clear day for much of the morning before clouds begin to thicken later in the day.

Rain is forecast for that evening.

Sunday could see more concentrated showers, Wasowski said.

The storm will hit areas north of Newport-Mesa harder than Orange County, Wasowski said.

Costa Mesa has seen .59 inches of rain thus far, while John Wayne Airport reported .78 inches, according to weather service reports Thursday. Newport numbers were not available.

Surf conditions remain poor with small swells, a lot of wind and shifting tides, Newport lifeguards said. The shifting tides are normal for the season, lifeguards said, but the amount of debris brought in from the rain makes the tide shifts more noticeable.

The winter storm hit a large area across Southern California Thursday night, closing a portion of the 5 Freeway north of Los Angeles.

— Daniel Tedford