How Was The Weather In Los Angeles
This week we are talking about how the weather was in Los Angeles this past weekend. There is definitely an emphasis on the fact that it rained almost every day! We will also take a look at some fun activities you can do when there’s rain, and what types of storms make for good surf.
It looks like April has officially been declared our rainy month. Since Sunday was considered mostly cloudy with isolated showers, then Monday became clear blue skies before afternoon thunderstorms rolled through, starting around 4 p.m. and ending just after 6 p.m., leaving lots of areas saturated from rainfall.
Tuesday dawned bright and sunny, making for pleasant outdoor activity seasonals, but quickly things changed as more heavy downpour fell. It wasn’t until early evening that the clouds started to break up and the sun returned. Unfortunately, those broken up clouds allowed for even heavier rains to fall, creating muddy conditions across the city.
Wednesday was similar to Tuesday with very little rest between downpours. It didn’t let up all morning before giving way to scattered showers later in the day, and again, mud galore. Thankfully, most people stayed dry during these times because roofs were adequate enough to keep out the water.
Thursday night brought us our first full-on beach session since February! The temperature rose slightly above average which gave way to some light surf.
It was humid
This week we had some very warm weather, which is unusual for late November. On Tuesday night, many people didn’t leave their homes because it wasn’t until well after midnight when temperatures actually dropped below 70 degrees.
On Wednesday, most areas received around 10 inches of rain! Most places got three to five inches of water within an eight-hour period. That’s what I call significant rainfall.
It rained hard all day Thursday as well, but those storms moved out quickly. By early afternoon, much of Southern California enjoyed its first beautiful sunny morning of the season. Unfortunately, that sun also caused us to experience our second highest heat index of the year so far.
Overall, humidity made for uncomfortable conditions throughout the week. You could easily feel wetness even when you weren’t sweating. It took awhile to get comfortable again once the temperature began dropping.
There were thunderstorms
On Sunday, there was actually an afternoon shower that left some areas around Southern California wet. This is very unusual as most of the day was sunny!
After the shower ended, we had large amounts of rain moving into the area which is what caused the flooding. These rains lasted for several hours making for some muddy streets and lots of cars being flooded.
Overall though, it was a beautiful day with clear skies! The temperature only reached 84 degrees at LAX so it wasn’t too hot outside either.
I think people have different opinions about whether or not this was normal weather since every year it seems to be more extreme. I will just leave you all with my favorite quote- “Good weather is good medicine.
There were wildfires
Wildfires have been an epidemic in the country, with most of the nation now experiencing at least one wildfire per week. With weather conditions being close to or past hurricane levels, many areas cannot effectively contain these fires.
When Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina earlier this year, it left behind significant amounts of rain. This helped put out some of the fire activity that was occurring due to dry vegetation.
In the Southwest region where I’m from, there hasn’t really been too much rainfall since October! During our area’s hottest month ever recorded (December), we only received 0.6 inches of precipitation - less than what a typical monthly rainfall amount is here.
This lack of moisture has allowed for very active wildland-urban-interface (WIUI) fires to burn over and over again. These are typically caused by people when they run outside during a wildfire to save their house, property, or loved ones.
There have also been reports of people using fireworks as kindling to start new blazes. All of these actions contribute to starting the flame even more quickly and easily.
There were floods
On Sunday, there was an early morning flood warning for some areas of South LA and West Hills. Around 9:30 am, water began pouring into the area from canals and storm drains. The Glendale channel flooded near Verdugo Boulevard and Valley Vista Street.
Around 10:15 am, heavy rain bands moved into the region bringing with them very strong winds. These winds caused tree branches to break off which then hit power lines, causing major power outages across several neighborhoods.
These powerful gusts also ripped roofs off buildings, overturned cars, and flooding due to fallen trees and debris. According at least one report, this is what actually saved someone’s home as it pushed their car away from danger of being struck by another vehicle!
This all happened within around two hours so we don’t have any statistics on how many people suffered minor or significant property damage, but it’s safe to say that it wasn’t good. A few days later, most parts of Southern California are still recovering.
There were earthquakes
On Sunday, people began to feel an earthquake at around 4 p.m. It was determined that this quake occurred along the San Andreas Fault, which is why it’s important to monitor seismicity (the study of earthquakes).
Fortunately, there have been only two other instances when quakes occur close together along the fault within five years. One happened in 2014 and one happened in 2016!
Experts predict more strong shaking due to weather changes so do your best to prepare for that by limiting exposed surfaces, making sure all supplies are ready, and knowing what actions you need to take.
There were major storms
On Sunday, there was an early morning shower that left some areas around Southern California wet. This rain moved out of town quickly, however!
Around noon, there was another round of thunderstorms moving through the area. These storms stayed longer than most, bringing heavy downpours to several regions. Some people experienced up to two inches of rainfall within an hour!
This amount of precipitation is enough to cause flooding. As you can probably guess, this caused serious damage all over the city. Luckily, no one reported any deaths due to lightning strikes or floods.
Overall, the weather appeared mostly pleasant during the afternoon. Most people enjoyed spending time outside while the storm passed. Unfortunately, not many people have access to a place with a good view of the sky so we could not enjoy the beautiful sunset.
There were minor storms
On Sunday, there was some thunder and lightning early in the morning. This is normal for Southern California during spring time due to warm temperatures and frequent rain showers.
At around 9 AM, heavy rains began to fall across much of South LA and parts of downtown. These rains quickly gave way to sunshine as the clouds moved away and were eventually outpaced by the sun’s influence.
Overall, this was an unusually rainy day in the area with records being broken at many stations. The amount of rainfall we saw today makes it officially a tropical depression!
Downtown Los Angeles received approximately 2 inches (5 cm) of water which set a new record for April. Overnight rainfall totaled 1 inch (2.54cm) at San Francisco International Airport, breaking their old record from last month that still stood as the second-highest total ever recorded there.
Given how wet everything was, most areas didn’t see any major flooding issues. However, some localized street flooding did occur in some locations. Fortunately, no one reported any injuries or significant damage caused by floods.
There were snowstorms
On Sunday, December 9, there was an early morning winter storm in the Southern California area. The weather forecast called for 2-4 inches of snow! Unfortunately, the snow did not stick around very long. By noon time, most areas had clear skies with warmer temperatures.
Many people enjoyed this warm weather while it lasted because now we are talking about seasonable temperatures! If you were planning to go outside then, do so soon! We can’t say if the hot temperature will hold onto the winter weather spell or not, but what we can tell you is that it will be cold tonight.
The low pressure system moving into our region will bring us some rain later this week, along with colder than average temperatures.