How's weather in LA during winter? (Los Angeles, Santa Ana: living in, nicest, rating)

[SandyCo]

It never rains here? That is so untrue. We tend to get most of our rain in January and February, but as you'll see by tonight, we have had some good rainstorms as early as October. In '04-'05, we got almost 38" of rain; it was the second rainiest season since records have been kept! The average is 15", and in '07-'08 we received a measly 3.21".

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by Euro90G

Bonjour!

How's the weather in winter time in Los Angeles? Do you need jacket, sweater etc. or summer clothes? What do people usually wear? Does it rain/snow a lot?
Do leave fell off from trees? Or change color in fall?

Some rain*, but nice, slightly warm, sunny weather between weather systems. If there is an offshore wind event between weather systems, it can be truly warm, as in, 80s F. Near the beach, day time highs in general will range from the low 60s to the mid 70s. Night time, by the beach it drops into the 50s, maybe the upper 40s. Although, rarely, with an outbreak of cold interior air from the high desert, it can drop into the 30s. Frost near the beach is rare to non existent.

Inland, at low elevations, highs are typically in the 60s, maybe getting higher for short periods. At night, lows are in the 40s or upper 30s. At higher elevations, it is colder, possibly much colder, depending how high. The high desert areas will get some snow, but it does not remain for long, due to solar heating and sublimation.

* Rain - on the west side of the Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges, rainfall will vary between 10 and 50 in per year, depending on how orographically favorable the location is, and, the latitude. Most rainfall is between late November and mid March. It can really rain hard. East of the ranges is desert, less than 10 in per year. In the far SE part of the state, there is actually a summer rainfall max due to the SW Monsoon (and conversely, almost nothing during, what for the rest of the state, is "the rainy season.")

[AliveandWell]

Originally Posted by jc76

Most of the country gets to deal with long cold sloppy wet dirty winters with roads covered in salt to aid in rusting your car as you fight off the cabin fever blues. Consider yourself lucky to not have to deal with the horrors that come with a real winter. In some peoples minds that beautiful dusting of snow is just that, but in reality it becomes deadly to drive in and a nuisance that keeps jabbing you in the side from Nov-April.
I always wore shorts and a t- shirt in LA in the winter. To me 60 is very comfortable vs 25 below zero
L.A. winters are nothing. May need a hoodie from time to time but I wore shorts everyday. I looked silly to them, an dthey looked silly to me wearing jeans and coat when it's 65 outside. I'm used to below 20 temps in winter that's why I say LA winters are nothing.

That's true that having to drive in snow is not pleasant as it can cause accidents like I heard about on the news 3 days ago when there was that huge pileup of cars in Colorado. You live in Indiana which is in the Midwest US. OF COURSE its going to get cold there. Midwest winters are known to be very cold. Consider the fact that because of the dirty LA air I constantly have to deal with allergies and its annoying. The air is also not good for the health. To each their own, some people like cold others don't. Some people love heat and I don't. But to get back to the topic, yes LA winters are nothing because there isn't really a winter here. Not when you can have 75 degree temperatures in December. I believe San Francisco is colder than most of LA in winter if I'm not mistaken.

[timelesschild]

The leaves fall from the deciduous trees - around Thanksgiving, if I remember correctly.

I've seen people dressed in actual parkas, with scarves and gloves - which seems overkill to me.

I got by fine, last winter, with a fleece hoodie, a wool sweater, and a good umbrella.

[uptown_urbanist]

I'm a native Minnesotan and I regularly wore long pants or jeans, sweaters, and often a jacket in LA during the winters. LA winters aren't Midwest cold, but that doesn't mean it can't get chilly. The parkas and gloves get silly, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to be warm. In January and February when it does rain it can feel a lot colder than whatever the thermometer officially says it is.

[Joseph Marnix]

It rained yesterday, this morning, and forecasted throughout the weekend.

[osuzana]

It can be 90 or 60. You never know. Evenings are cool so a jacket would be a good idea. During the day can be a mixed bag so a sweatshirt or jacket would work. Don't bring too many summerish clothes. And....leaves do too fall and do change color, just not vibrant like the east coast. They go from green to brown and then fall. I don't have a rake for nothing!

[Charles]

Another beautiful January day in Southern California.

[SandyCo]

I sat outside today in shorts and a T-shirt, reading a book as the sunshine warmed my bare feet and legs. It's supposed to stay warm (in the 80s) all weekend! I'm soooo happy!

[mlb]

We visited New Year's Eve to January 4.... We live in the Rockies. The temperature in Pasadena at the start of the Rose Bowl Parade?

THIRTY EIGHT DEGREES.

In all the 6 years I lived in LA it never got that cold.

And then from the 2nd to the 4th - it was in the low 40's and rained each day.

Glad to be back in the dry Rockies.