Whats wrong with our weather? (Santa Ana, Anaheim: 2014, live, stats)

[dexter14]

Its Oct and many places people are wearing sweaters and its 100 degrees here in Anaheim. Hotter than Vegas, Phoenix and Palm Springs. Thats been the case many days this year. We have been hotter than those areas.This is happening much more often the last 3 years. Back 20 years ago, heck, even 10 years ago before I lived in OC, we always had to check the weather when planning trips. Even in the summer, clouds, rain and cold weather were always a consideration. I remember many summers it being too cold to even get in the ocean in HB or Newport aside from some days in Aug. Seem those days are long gone. June gloom, cloudy cold weather and rain are a thing of the past. This has truly become a desert again. Hot, dry weather 6-8 months out of the year. Whats happened?

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by mbell75

Its Oct and many places people are wearing sweaters and its 100 degrees here in Anaheim. Hotter than Vegas, Phoenix and Palm Springs. Thats been the case many days this year. We have been hotter than those areas.This is happening much more often the last 3 years. Back 20 years ago, heck, even 10 years ago before I lived in OC, we always had to check the weather when planning trips. Even in the summer, clouds, rain and cold weather were always a consideration. I remember many summers it being too cold to even get in the ocean in HB or Newport aside from some days in Aug. Seem those days are long gone. June gloom, cloudy cold weather and rain are a thing of the past. This has truly become a desert again. Hot, dry weather 6-8 months out of the year. Whats happened?

We had June gloom well into July this year.

Are you sure you are not allowing your personal dissatisfaction with the area to cloud (ha ha) your perception of the weather? I'm not seeing any stats here, just narrative.

[HyperionGap]

Originally Posted by mbell75

Its Oct and many places people are wearing sweaters and its 100 degrees here in Anaheim. Hotter than Vegas, Phoenix and Palm Springs. Thats been the case many days this year. We have been hotter than those areas.This is happening much more often the last 3 years. Back 20 years ago, heck, even 10 years ago before I lived in OC, we always had to check the weather when planning trips. Even in the summer, clouds, rain and cold weather were always a consideration. I remember many summers it being too cold to even get in the ocean in HB or Newport aside from some days in Aug. Seem those days are long gone. June gloom, cloudy cold weather and rain are a thing of the past. This has truly become a desert again. Hot, dry weather 6-8 months out of the year. Whats happened?

And when was it a desert previously?

[bowneline]

I think some of it might be related to our relatively warm ocean. I am in the ocean very frequently, and have been calling the Newport Beach lifeguard surf report on a daily or weekly basis for the past 20 years. One of the things they do is give a daily reading for the ocean water at the Newport Pier.

I can tell you that in the 90s and early 2000s, the ocean water around Newport would typically be in the mid to high 60s for most of the summer, and maybe touch 70-71 on the warmest periods in August, but only for week or two. Then, by mid or late September, it would be back down again to the mid 60s.

That has not been the case the past 3-4 years. We have had MANY more days during the summer with water up in the 72-73 degree range, with water off-shore in the 74-75 degree range. That is even the case now, in early October. It was like this last year and at least the year before.

I know weather is a complicated thing, with many different influences, but I have to imagine this warm ocean water sitting offshore has played a role in shaping our weather. I think the difference between 65 degree water and 73 degree water sitting offshore has made it warmer during the day, less likely to cool down at night, and it probably keeps the marine layer at bay, and stifles that west wind we usually get.

I should add, also, that it is not unusual during a Santa Ana, for it to be hotter near the coast than it is inland (Palm Springs, Vegas, etc...). This is caused by desert air being pushed down to the lowland coast areas as it travels towards the ocean. As it is pushed down, it compresses and heats up. That is just a normal part of a Santa Ana.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by mbell75

Its Oct and many places people are wearing sweaters and its 100 degrees here in Anaheim. Hotter than Vegas, Phoenix and Palm Springs. Thats been the case many days this year. We have been hotter than those areas.This is happening much more often the last 3 years. Back 20 years ago, heck, even 10 years ago before I lived in OC, we always had to check the weather when planning trips. Even in the summer, clouds, rain and cold weather were always a consideration. I remember many summers it being too cold to even get in the ocean in HB or Newport aside from some days in Aug. Seem those days are long gone. June gloom, cloudy cold weather and rain are a thing of the past. This has truly become a desert again. Hot, dry weather 6-8 months out of the year. Whats happened?

Are you really talking about OC? Summer, by which I mean July through October, is hot and dry, period, and always has been in my memory. Maybe there will be one or two brief thunderstorms caused by monsoonal moisture coming up from Mexico, but the temperature is still hot, not cold. And 99% of the time it is dry.

Look, I'm as unhappy about the drought and hot weather as anyone but it's not going to make it better to pretend that OC used to have cold, rainy summers.

[bowneline]

Also, one more point. It's the first week of October, its not like its Winter yet. We are only a month removed from the hottest time of the year. It's not as if the rest of the country is buried in snow and we are baking under this unusually warm sun. It was 98 degrees today in Dallas, 87 if New Orleans, 93 in Oklahoma City, 85 degrees in Portland, 82 in Atlanta, 90 in Houston, 87 in Wichita (Kansas), 84 in Charleston, 88 in Little Rock, 100 degrees in Austin (Texas).

[Brother1]

On my first post 'hello everyone!" I will say weather is always changing. I remember late October was really hot back in the early 90s. I remember it rained for like 28 days straight back in 79'? No worries the climate always changes. Socal is a very mild climate. They are crying about rain right now, we will get some. Enjoy.

[mateo45]

Summer Weather Continues to Get Hotter in Every U.S. Region Since 1970

Top 5 Fastest-Warming Areas in the West
1. Extreme Southern Nevada
2. Southeast Desert Basin Calif.
3. South Central Nevada
4. Northwestern Calif.
5. San Joaquin Drainage Calif.

Study predicts more hot spells in Southern California
UCLA researchers say the number of days topping 95 degrees each year will jump by as much as five times.

[TheOldBear]

While I have no hard science or even pseudo-science to back it up I will say that the weather patterns in the LA basin are different than they were. The “Catalina Eddy” that my old pal Bill Keene used to talk about doesn't roll in and moderate the heat in early summer like it did as recently as the mid 90's. Again, this is all anecdotal but the growing seasons in my garden are different than they were and fruit trees bloom and harvest earlier than they did.


It also seems as though the low pressure from the Gulf comes up into the desert sooner, providing an earlier, longer and more powerful 'monsoon season' from Yuma east across the Colorado River.


I'll let the Chicken Little types attribute the change to too many SUV's on the road or running our central ac too hard or whatever they like. As far as I'm concerned, it may be a natural cycle or the confluence of the moon and the stars. Whatever it is, it seems here to stay. Sweat stains don't lie.

[LuvSouthOC]

I am enjoying our current weather, that's for sure.