How Much Rain In Los Angeles
With our rainy day forecast for this weekend, many people will be outside exploring the city or staying within their home to relax. Luckily, we have some information here about how much rain we’ll get in the LA area, as well as what areas receive significant rainfall!
In this article, I’ll cover which neighborhoods typically get the most precipitation, if your house gets flooded due to weather, and lastly tips on what to do after flooding. Keep reading to learn more!
Don’t worry, these things don’t happen very often, but when they do it can cause lots of damage and worries. Hopefully you’ll find this info helpful before, during, and after the storm.
Hopefully you enjoy the article and take something away from it. Feel free to comment below and tell us anything else that we missed! We would love to hear from you.
Effects of the mountains on the weather
Mountains have an effect on your weather by cooling or heating adjacent areas depending on how cold or warm they are. This is called thermal radiation. If you look at the sun, you will see that it gives off heat as it shines light through our atmosphere.
As the sun goes down, this glow sometimes moves into the sky where night falls. At these times, some of the warmth is reflected back up towards the earth.
This happens when the air gets very close to a mountain peak like Mount Rose in California. The temperature drops due to reflection of the heat radiated from the lower parts of the mountain.
On average, we get about six inches (15cm) of snowfall per year around Lake Tahoe because of this effect. All of the water comes from rain that was heated by the soil and then re-radiates its energy as heat onto the surrounding area.
That’s why there’s often a lag time between the start of heavy precipitation and the arrival of measurable amounts of liquid water. Because it takes hours for all of the moisture in the air to condense into liquid form, meteorologists wait until things line up properly before measuring rainfall totals.
Satellite images can help determine if this theory holds true for recent storms. As mentioned earlier, most of the Sierra Nevada is made up of peaks with relatively thin layers of vegetation. That means lots of white space showing the bare rock surface exposed to the wind and sun.
The El Niño and La Niña weather patterns
An important factor that impacts how much rain we get in our area is called an el niño or “the little boy” pattern. This happens when hot, dry air comes into our region from the Southwest or Southeast, which creates a high pressure system over us.
This high pressure then gets stronger, creating more of a pull towards the west, making it harder to push the moisture away. When this occurs, we usually do not have as many rainy days at least through spring.
An example of this would be if there was a drought in the southwest and so much of a lack of water that the plants could not absorb any, causing the surface level to drop. As the plant needs liquid for survival, they can start rejecting water, thus leaving less in the atmosphere.
When this happens, our region loses its natural balance and must work to restore it. Through rainfall, plants need water to survive, therefore restoring the equilibrium.
Monsoon season
This is not normal! We have already surpassed our rainfall record for this month, which was set just two months ago!
Experts predict that we will see many days with significant rain events as monsoonal weather moves into Southern California.
Monsoon season typically begins when there are large temperature differences between day and night. As daylight hours shorten due to the winter seasonal climate, temperatures drop at night, creating an unstable condition.
As air becomes saturated from the heavy rains, it starts to release its heat slowly through convection, or fluid movement. This process can easily be observed by watching moisture move across a window sash.
When this happens, condensed water drops begin to form again, starting the cycle once more. This repeated occurrence creates a constant flow of precipitation - perfect for drowning your car!
Computer models suggest up to 10 inches of rain could fall over several days in some areas of Southland.
The position of the sun
As we mentioned before, the amount of rainfall that occurs around here is dependent on several factors: the altitude, the season, the time of day, and the angle of the sun.
The altitude affects how much rain there is because it determines how high up the water can rise. If you live closer to the ocean or mountains, then higher altitudes have greater influence over whether or not and how much it rains.
Also, during summer months, the sun stays above the horizon for longer periods of time which means it’s shining upon the Pacific Ocean for longer as well. Because light bounces off of moisture, this creates more opportunities for precipitation.
But what about at night?
It takes the moonlight an hour to an hour and a half to reach the ground due to the atmosphere, so most people don’t feel like they get enough nighttime rain.
Ocean currents
Another important factor that impacts how much rain we get in LA is oceanic current patterns. The Pacific Ocean acts as our natural air conditioner by cooling off its water temperature as it travels west across the globe.
This effect decreases as the Pacific Ocean gets warmer due to climate change, which could potentially increase rainfall in California. However, research has not shown a clear link between global warming and more frequent or intense precipitation events in California.
Instead, scientists believe that while average temperatures may rise slightly, there will be bigger swings in weather occurring at any given time. These changes can result in either heavier or lighter rains, depending on the area. This makes predicting storms even harder!
Furthermore, some studies have found that atmospheric conditions such as wind shear (the difference in speed of airflow with opposite directions) play an even larger role in determining whether or not storms develop than temperature alone. Wind shear can make it more difficult for storms to take shape, so areas that are exposed to lots of wind shear may see less precipitation.
Overall, understanding oceanic current patterns and how they influence rainfall in California is very complex. Scientists are still working hard to connect the dots.
Climate change
With climate change, our weather is not staying the same! As temperatures rise due to global warming, we are experiencing more heavy rainfall events. This article will discuss how much rain it has been in LA, why this is happening, and what you can do about it.
Climate change happens when there is an increase in temperature and/or precipitation across the globe. The average world temperature has risen by around one degree Celsius since the middle of the twentieth century.
This is very likely caused by human activity- such as burning fossil fuels for energy. Burning these substances produces large amounts of CO2 which get trapped in the atmosphere.
Since the 1950s, humans have put too many CO2 particles into the air we breathe. These gases help regulate atmospheric pressure and matter density, thus influencing weather.
As the amount of CO2 increases, so does the likelihood of heavier rains and snowfalls. This is because water molecules stick to CO2 molecules, making it more likely to fall down as liquid instead of as vapor.
Another factor that contributes to heavier rains and snowfall is reduced vertical movement of heat within the atmosphere. When temperature drops, moisture can stay longer in the air before falling back onto ground or other materials.
Overall, climate change makes conditions become increasingly unstable. This results in frequent strong storms, extended periods of drought, and rising sea levels.
A significant risk of climate change is flooding.
Natural disasters
In addition to climate change, natural disasters can have disastrous effects on your health and well-being.
Many diseases are related to exposure to environmental contaminants or due to stress caused by disaster events. These include respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis; heart disease including atherosclerosis (hardened arteries) and hypertrophy (overly strong blood vessels); mental health conditions like depression and anxiety; and obesity from increased food intake.
In fact, several studies suggest that deaths from certain causes may be linked to specific types of natural disasters and elevated levels of stress. For example, some research suggests that hurricane surges cause drowning and other trauma that lead to an increase in mortality due to cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Other researchers hypothesize that people who survive a major earthquake may develop chronic psychological distress and physical illness weeks or months later. This could contribute to higher rates of suicide and psychiatric disorders among survivors than individuals living far away with no history of earthquakes.
You may be exposed to harmful substances during, immediately after, or long term as a result of a disaster. For instance, floods can spread infectious pathogens through water contamination, and fires typically emit smoke containing various pollutants that can affect overall health.
During recovery, unfortunately, there will likely be lots of waste material to deal with…so what should you do?
The best way to prevent exposures to hazardous materials is by practicing basic hygiene strategies.
What to do in the rain
Yours truly is an advanced rambler when it comes to rainy days in LA! I have mastered the art of doing things that need to be done while the world around you is busy shutting down because there’s not much going on.
I always pack my bags with me no matter where I go, so if I needed to run away or take shelter, I can easily get what I need. This way, I don’t have to worry about leaving anything back home (unless someone else was bringing their bag).
Also, I never wait for the weather to calm down before getting out and exploring. If there’s heavy rainfall, even better! You will find beautiful nature all around you and incredible skylines!
If you feel like staying indoors, that’s totally okay too. There are many ways to pass time while waiting out the storm. For example, you could read, play games, or just enjoy some quiet time.