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The parched Southland finally received it's first soaking rain of the season this weekend, and LAist couldn't be happier. We're big fans of rain: it's cooling, it's cleansing, and it's rare. In honor of this first "rain event", here are 8 reasons we love rain in LA (and one reason we don't):
- The comforting sound of rain on the roof (unless you haven't had your roof re-shingled since the last El Nino year).
- The LA River actually looks like a river, growing from a trickle to a torrent in mere hours, and raging against the concrete channel that has entombed and tamed the unpredictable rio for over 60 years.
- The clear blue skies left behind by the cleansing precipitation. There's nothing like standing on Mt. Hollywood after a rain shower and looking out over the city. After one storm, LAist could actually see the huge cranes that pluck containers off of ships in the port of LA, 28 miles away as the 110 commuter drives.
- The rain-slicked streets at night. This iconic look, with the lights of the city reflected in the wet asphalt, turns the city into a vast Noir landscape of dark figures hunched against the rain, and shadows so deep that only the discerning, cynical eye of a Philip Marlowe or Easy Rawlins can penetrate.
- The beginning of the green season in LA. The hills throw off their earth-toned summer togs and sprout verdant grass seemingly overnight, like huge, mutated chia pets. The fire season begins to fade away, hibernating until the hot, dry weather returns, and the Santa Ana winds begin to howl anew.
- The sleep enhancing properties of rain. It's a Sunday morning. You wake up to the sound of rain tap-tapping on the metal casing of your window A/C unit. Cars hiss by, tires throwing rooster-tails of water carelessly behind them. It's a little chilly. Whaddya do? Roll right back over, pull the covers up a little higher, and drift away on the ebbing tide of sleep.
- Happy local meteorologists. Hey, these poor people spend 90% of the year saying "72 and sunny". Who can blame them for launching into hysterics at the first opportunity to crank up the Doppler 7000+? This is their time to shine, to get out from behind their desk and take center stage, and who could begrudge them that?
- Free car wash! The minute you hear the forecast of rain, you can move your car to the curb for a gratis car wash, compliments of Mother Nature. No tip required.
And now, the one reason we don't like rain in LA:
- Angelenos cannot drive in the rain. The minute that first drop o' rain hits the freeway, might as well start firing up the SigAlert system: the orgy of destruction has begun. SUVs roll over, compact cars hydroplane into divider walls, and semis jack-knife on the 15, all because an LA commuter would sooner take the bus than slow down for wet road conditions.
As for LAist, we'll just brew some java, throw on our winter sweat pants for the first time, and watch the local news hyperventilate about the first storm of the rainy season.
