One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
The Weather Might Seem Unusual, But This Is What A Normal Rainy Season Looks Like
An atmospheric river brought rain and snow to California on Tuesday.
(
Courtesy Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere
)
This most recent storm system brought about half an inch of rain to Southern California, and another is expected this weekend, which is wonderful.
Given how dry it’s been this past decade, it’s easy to forget that this is what an average rainy season looks like.
What is normal?
Here in Los Angeles, the amount of precipitation we’ve seen since Oct. 1 is slightly above average, while the state as a whole is still trailing a bit behind.
Our snowpack is nearly double what we’d often see by this date, though a lot more has to fall if we’re going to reach “normal” by April 1, the end of California’s rainy season.
Sponsored message
What happened to La Niña?
A La Niña advisory is still in effect, and while it’s often associated with a drier winter here in Southern California, so far we’ve done pretty well.
Winter time La Niña pattern.
(
Courtesy NOAA Climate
)
The climate change angle
Even if we see an average amount of precipitation, higher temperatures (and a thirstier atmosphere) dry out our landscapes faster than they usually would, exacerbating drought conditions.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
