November 22, 2013

Los Angeles Rain Wimps

Last year, a number of Los Angeles residents and their media representatives were happy to accuse us of being snow wimps.  Here is the proof.


Among the insults that would raise the ire of any true Northwesterner in  this article are these : "Color Seattle Clueless" and "The City has always marched unarmed into it infrequent battles with snow".    There is worse, but I dare not repeat them in this blog for fear of the reaction of the stalwart, proud readers of the blog.

It's payback time.  After month's of dry weather Los Angeles has been hit by some light rain and they are in near panic mode.  Northwest residents can smirk and call it like it is:  Los Angelenos are rain wimps.  It just brings a smile to your face.

Los Angeles TV stations are providing dawn to dusk coverage of this soggy threat to life and limb.   For example, here is a video of a LA station that will warm your heart.   Listen to the wise advice of some women when asked what do when it rains (click on image or link).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAK_P65YgnI&feature=share

These fearful Los Angeles residents are completely freaked out by rain.   Consider some of the "warnings" in the LA Times today:

            " Debris and trash make their way into the ocean whenever it rains."

"A rain advisory is in effect for all Los Angeles County beaches until Sunday morning. Jonathan Fielding, director of the county Department of Health"

Los Angeles residents are so unfamiliar with rain that the city fathers sponsored an instructional video on the proper use of umbrellas (click on image or link):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vF7YAYPbMo 


 A novice umbrella user on the Santa Monica pier

Since it rains so infrequently in LA, a Santa Monica group has found another use for these devices:  as a weapon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FQKD37vrIc

So what are the severe rain conditions being experienced down in LA?  Here is is precipitation plot at downtown LA form the National Weather Service for November.  The green bar indicates the observed rainfall:  .05 inches.  LOL.  The red bars are the daily records.

What kind of weather pattern is producing this RainMageddon pattern for LA and sunshine for us?  Here is 500 hPa upper level chart at 4 AM Friday morning...a nice ridge over us but a closed low over southern CA.   Just as we like it.  And folks I have amazing news for you...it will be pretty much dry here for the next week, with only a chance of few sprinkles on Tuesday.  This should be the wettest, stormiest time of the year for us.  It won't be this year.   Enjoy the sun.



Proper clothing in LA




The city has always marched unarmed into its infrequent battles with snow - See more at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/seattle-snow-storm.html#sthash.lSwZigs4.dpuf
Color Seattle clueless. The city has always marched unarmed into its infrequent battles with snow, and Wednesday's snowstorm was no exception. - See more at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/seattle-snow-storm.html#sthash.lSwZigs4.dpuf

Snow wimps: Seattle is shut down by first real snow of the season

Click here to see more photos.

Color Seattle clueless. The city has always marched unarmed into its infrequent battles with snow, and Wednesday's snowstorm was no exception.
- See more at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/seattle-snow-storm.html#sthash.lSwZigs4.dpuf

Snow wimps: Seattle is shut down by first real snow of the season

Click here to see more photos.

Color Seattle clueless. The city has always marched unarmed into its infrequent battles with snow, and Wednesday's snowstorm was no exception.
- See more at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/seattle-snow-storm.html#sthash.lSwZigs4.dpuf

11 comments:

  1. Does that bar graph show the LA rainfall overlaid on Seattle rainfall for this month?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well... to be fair, we ARE snow wimps. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. We ARE snow wimps and clueless about driving in "winter conditions" but we're not that great in the rain either, especially after a few dry days. Does anyone remember what the freeways were like here on that first day of real rain at the end of August after two months of dry weather? Accidents everywhere, the entire city had completely forgotten how to drive in the rain!

    ReplyDelete
  4. All this means is that their weather is normally pleasant and sunny. Sure beats having rain be the default weather. Rain is unique and interesting down there. This is not payback. This is just proof that its normally beautiful in Southern California and rainy/dreary up here.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I lived in LA for 10 years. Most rain is mild. Angelenos also 60 degrees is freezing. LOL. But there was a year where the rain was intense. The LA "River" almost overflowed its banks. (It's the concrete culvert featured in the opening of TERMINATOR 2 -- the motorcycle and truck chase.) I lived very nearby; I could hear the roar a couple blocks away.

    Another year featured floods in Orange County (less drainage than needed).

    I moved back to Seattle because there were 3 seasons in LA: hot most of the year, fires follow, and then winter rain producing mudslides.

    I don't think Seattle-ites are snow wimps. We have long memories. I remember the hug blizzard ('96?), the Christmas ice-turned-to-rain and flooding, and the Hanukkah storm (2007?) I remember the last one well; 4 days without power in 22 degree temps.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We aren't wimps, just totally unprepared.

    I was in LA in October and it rained . One of the teachers I was visiting said they had to have "counsel" so the students could process the weather. I laughed hard.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think most states are jealous of California. That state has it all; great weather in the south, mountains, deserts, forests, cool cities. Plus, you can grow almost anything in California. And don't forget Hollywood.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ingesting a little THC and watching the local news makes for great entertainment.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Listen. I was born here. I like the deary. I like the 38 degree rain. 9 months of almost daylight. I'm not at all happy about this current weather pattern. Wee a day of sun. That was fun, now bring back the concrete sky and the constant mist. I want snow in the hills and moss on my lawn. To those who complain, I offer one of our many bridges to jump off of, or a chance to live ANYWHERE else.

    Regarding Seattle snow: it is some of the most difficult to drive in, especially with the local topography. 4" of slush is much harder to navigate than 2" of Utah power. Now try it on short steep hill. Nearly impossible, but what a wonderful challenge. Bring it. I'm ready.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Indeed, the steep Seattle-area hills are such a challenge. It's like trying to navigate up and down street in San Francisco. Might be fun to sled or ski down but not drive.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It's worth noting that the original "snow wimp" story in the LA Times was written by a reporter who lived on Bainbridge Island - like a transplant from a snowy land.

    ReplyDelete

Please make sure your comments are civil. Name calling and personal attacks are not appropriate.

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