Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

KPCC Archive

How much rain has Southern California received? A lot.

The Hollywood sign is seen during a rain storm in Hollywood, California on January 12, 2017.  
A series of storms that have rolled across California in the past week dumping heavy rain and snow could herald the end of a punishing historic drought, officials said.
The Hollywood sign, seen during a rain storm on January 12, 2017. A series of storms rolled across California in January and February, helping ease drought in the state.
(
AFP/AFP/Getty Images
)

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

Listen 0:52
How much rain has Southern California received? A lot.

Today is March 31st, which means we're halfway through what's known as the water year. That means it's the end of the period from October through March when Southern California receives nearly all of its precipitation.

So, just how much rain have we gotten? A lot. In just six months, we've seen 120 percent of what we normally get in a typical full year.

That's according to data from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which shows this year's precipitation outpacing normal totals. By this point in the median year, Southern California has received 86 percent of what it will eventually get in the year. 

But David Pierce of Scripps says that the region isn't at historic highs. 

"The precipitation since the start of winter has been above average, but within the normal range of variability," Pierce said. "So above [average], definitely, which is good. But not exceptionally high."

Pierce crunches data from 20 rain gauges across the Los Angeles Basin, and compares it to historical data from those same gauges to bring context to the region's precipitation.

Sponsored message

The season's total was enough to make this the sixteenth wettest stretch since World War II. That's down from January, when the region was on track for the fifth-wettest winter.

While the first two months of 2017 saw a deluge, the downpours eased considerably in March.

Southern California has had an above-average few months, but it's been a near-record year in the Sierra Nevada, where snowpack is so robust it has set off concerns about flooding. Still, the snow has brightened the water supply picture across the state.

"The Los Angeles area and most of Southern California imports a lot of its water. So the fact that Northern California has had that exceptionally wet year is helpful for even Southern California," Pierce told KPCC.

The rain has also helped tame the five-drought across the state. Much of California has officially emerged from drought, though areas in Orange, Ventura and Imperial counties remain in moderate drought, according to the United State Drought Monitor.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right