Climate of Los Angeles

The climate of Los Angeles is mild to hot all year and usually dry. It is a mix between a Mediterranean and semi-arid climate. This means it has dry summers and wet winters. The city has different weather depending on where you are. Coastal areas and inland places can feel very different.

Los Angeles has many small climate zones called microclimates. In one day, temperatures can change a lot—up to 36 °F (20 °C)—between places like the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles Basin. Some cities farther north, such as Palmdale and Lancaster, sometimes see snow in winter because they are higher up. Their summers are often hotter than other parts of the area.

Classifications

Los Angeles has a climate that stays mild to hot all year. It is mostly dry, with a mix of Mediterranean and semi-arid climate. The city has dry summers and wet winters.

Temperatures and seasons

The main weather station for Los Angeles is near downtown, close to Dodger Stadium. This station helps us learn about the city's weather.

Los Angeles has dry summers from May to October. In these months, days are warm, with temperatures often in the 80s°F (around 26-28°C), and nights are cool, in the 60s°F (about 15-17°C). There is almost no rain during the summer.

Winter, from November to April, brings more rain. Most of the year's rain falls during these months. Even with more rain, winters are still nice and sunny, with daytime temperatures usually in the 60s°F to low 70s°F (17-21°C) and cooler nights in the 40s°F to low 50s°F (8-12°C).

Summer

Summers in Los Angeles are warm to hot and very dry. Temperatures can reach over 90°F (32°C) sometimes. August is usually the hottest month. The sky is often clear and sunny, except sometimes in late spring and early summer when cloudy days may appear.

While rare, some areas can have occasional thunderstorms in summer.

Winter

Winter days are mild to warm, with average highs around 68°F (20°C) and lows near 48°F (9°C). Heavy rain can happen sometimes. Temperatures rarely drop below 40°F (4°C) near the coast, but frost can occur a little farther inland. Strong, dry winds called Santa Ana winds can appear, sometimes making temperatures feel very warm even in December or January.

Spring and autumn

Spring and autumn are not very different in Los Angeles. Summer-like temperatures can continue until early November, and winter-like temperatures can last into April or May. Rain usually stops by mid-May. June is a transition month with milder temperatures and more cloudy days.

Rainfall

Most rain in Los Angeles falls during the winter and early spring. The rain usually starts in October or November and gets heavier from late November through early April. February is usually the wettest month. The rain then decreases in April or May, with only a few light showers.

Los Angeles receives about 12 to 15 inches of rain each year. This amount can change depending on weather patterns. Sometimes, more rain comes when certain weather systems move into the area. Other times, Los Angeles can stay warm and dry for many weeks. Rain in the summer is rare but can sometimes happen from storms far away. Snow is very uncommon in the city but falls often in the nearby mountains.

Surrounding areas in the region

Coastal basin

The Los Angeles Basin is the coolest part of the area in summer and mildest in winter. It gets less rain than the valleys and mountains around it.

Los Angeles International Airport and nearby places like Westchester and El Segundo are the coolest in summer because of steady sea breezes. Santa Monica and surrounding areas can be 10 to 15 °F cooler than places just 5 miles away. The airport has a semi-arid climate because of its mild temperatures and modest winter rain.

Santa Monica stays warm but has enough rain to keep a Mediterranean climate. Areas like Culver City, Inglewood, and Palms are a little farther inland and can be up to 10 °F warmer in summer. Culver City also has a semi-arid climate but stays mild thanks to winds from the Pacific.

Long Beach, about 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, has a coast-influenced climate but isn't as cool as Santa Monica or the Westside. It can get as hot as downtown Los Angeles. Areas farther north in Long Beach can be much warmer than the coast.

San Fernando Valley

The San Fernando Valley is much hotter than the coastal basin. Places like Canoga Park and Woodland Hills often have the highest temperatures, with records almost as high as Phoenix, Arizona. Burbank, at the valley’s eastern end, is also hotter than downtown Los Angeles, just 9 miles away. In winter, Canoga Park and Burbank get more rain and keep a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. Canoga Park has cooler summer nights than many other inland areas.

Orange County

North/Central Orange County

Santa Ana, the seat of Orange County, and Anaheim have similar climates, typical for areas 10 to 15 miles inland from the beach. Santa Ana is between a semi-arid and a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, while Anaheim is firmly semi-arid with very little rain.

Extreme weather

Los Angeles has had very hot and very cold days. The hottest day was 113 °F (45 °C) in downtown Los Angeles in 2010, and the coldest was 28 °F (−2 °C) in 1913 and 1949. Rain can change a lot from year to year, with some years being very wet and others very dry.

The Santa Ana winds are strong, dry winds that blow from the inland areas toward the coast. They can bring hot, dry weather and sometimes damage trees and buildings. Heavy rains can sometimes cause landslides and block roads, especially in areas where wildfires have burned the land.

Thunderstorms and tornadoes are rare in Los Angeles because the air is usually too stable and dry. When they do happen, they are usually small and weak and often occur during winter storms. Lightning and hail can sometimes happen with these storms, but tornadoes and waterspouts over the ocean are very rare.

Main article: Santa Ana winds

Sea temperatures

The sea around Los Angeles is usually about 63 °F (17 °C) each year. It is coolest in January at around 58 °F (14 °C) and warmest in August at about 68 °F (20 °C).

Ultraviolet index

The ultraviolet index, or UV index, tells us how strong the sun's rays are on a given day. When the UV index is high, it means the sun can harm our skin more easily. It's important to protect our skin when the UV index is high.

We can protect our skin by wearing sunscreen, hats, and long sleeves. Staying in the shade during peak sun hours helps too.