THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY

1886: Twenty-four hundredths of an inch of rain falls in LA

Episode Details

July 14, 1886: Rainfall in Southern California in the summertime is almost non-existent. In fact, the climate takes on desert-like conditions. The average rainfall in June, July and August in Los Angles is less than a quarter of an inches of rainfall – 2 tenths of an inch to be exact. July is the driest month with barley more than a spritz of rain at an average of one hundredth of an inch – the lowest measurable total of rainfall that is officially observed. In contrast New Orleans is generally regarded as the rainiest big-city in the US and averages more than 6 inches of rain for the month of July. It’s not always dry in LA with the months of January, February and March all averaging more than 3 inches of rain each month. Certainly, though there are two distinct seasons in LA a wet season and a dry season. To give you an idea of just how dry it is in Southern California in July, on this date in weather history on July 14, 1886, twenty-four hundredths of an inch of rain – just shy of a quarter of an inch fell in LA, the most ever on a single day in the region in recorded history. Not much impact was felt in the region – today of course a rainfall like that on a July day would result in slippery freeways because the accumulated oil dripping off of cars and onto the highway would mix with the water and cause the roads to become slippery.

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THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY

1886: Twenty-four hundredths of an inch of rain falls in LA

This Date in Weather History

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