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Since 1960, snow has never fallen in Downtown Los Angeles or near the coast. Before that, there used to be snow in L.A. every few years. Other inland locations in the Los Angeles Basin have gotten snow more recently, including as recently as the winter of 2019, though again, not Downtown L.A.
Given that snow can occur (though very rarely) with temperatures as warm as 50°F (10°C) and occurs with some frequency between 40-45°F (4-7°C), why has there not been snow in L.A. since 1960 when temperatures dip into the lower 40s and even the upper 30s at night multiple times per winter and winter is Southern California's season for precipitation?
Also, what would L.A. be like if there happened to be a large lake north of the city but south of the San Gabriel Mountains? Would L.A. get lake-effect snow every year? (Asking a hypothetical question...not assuming that this scenario would ever exist.) Mexico City, which has similar record lows to L.A., also used to get snow every year prior to the draining of Lake Texcoco, and then it suddenly stopped, just like it did in L.A. in 1960.
As a long time East Coaster, I never remember snow falling when it was more than 37-38 and even then it would melt immediately when hitting the ground.
Two issues for LA - one is that you're only at those morning lows for a few hours before and right after dawn. I've never seen or heard of a day where downtown LA doesn't make it up to at least the 50s, and days with highs in the 50s often have lows in the mid 40s due to clouds/rain. The other is the variance. California doesn't have the variability in lows you get further east. Where I live now in Northern California the avg high is six degrees colder than Austin, TX in January, but we get far fewer freezes and frosts because we're shielded from the cold snaps Central and South Texas get. As a result, we're in a higher USDA zone. I don't know that DTLA, or even Burbank, has spent more than a few consecutive hours below freezing in decades.
As a long time East Coaster, I never remember snow falling when it was more than 37-38 and even then it would melt immediately when hitting the ground.
Two issues for LA - one is that you're only at those morning lows for a few hours before and right after dawn. I've never seen or heard of a day where downtown LA doesn't make it up to at least the 50s, and days with highs in the 50s often have lows in the mid 40s due to clouds/rain. The other is the variance. California doesn't have the variability in lows you get further east. Where I live now in Northern California the avg high is six degrees colder than Austin, TX in January, but we get far fewer freezes and frosts because we're shielded from the cold snaps Central and South Texas get. As a result, we're in a higher USDA zone. I don't know that DTLA, or even Burbank, has spent more than a few consecutive hours below freezing in decades.
Eastern US is more humid and has higher wet bulb temps. That's why snow above 35 F is common out west where the dewpoints are lower and very rare on the east coast.
My area sees little snow despite about 30-40 freezing nights a year. Snowed three times here in about 120 years, with some areas having no record of it.
The reason here is that the western ranges act as a barrier to the systems that can bring snow (snow shadow), and what does make it, hits the warm inversion that is the result of mild sea temperatures.
I'm guessing L.A has those features, plus being warmer, drier...and possibly a UHI effect?
Much of the southland is at sea level, or a few hundred feed above. Its also fairly far south - it doesn't snow in Savanah either. Of course, in the surrounding san gabriels, at 5-10k ft, you get plenty of snow.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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Originally Posted by Joe90
My area sees little snow despite about 30-40 freezing nights a year. Snowed three times here in about 120 years, with some areas having no record of it.
The reason here is that the western ranges act as a barrier to the systems that can bring snow (snow shadow), and what does make it, hits the warm inversion that is the result of mild sea temperatures.
I'm guessing L.A has those features, plus being warmer, drier...and possibly a UHI effect?
Winter see temps in Los Angeles are in the 14°C-16°C range, and average winter dews are around 5°C
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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Only part of greater Los Angeles that typically sees snow (that's also populated), are the Victor and Antelope Valleys, which are on the other side of the San Gabriel's and over 2,500ft elevation
Since 1960, snow has never fallen in Downtown Los Angeles or near the coast. Before that, there used to be snow in L.A. every few years. Other inland locations in the Los Angeles Basin have gotten snow more recently, including as recently as the winter of 2019, though again, not Downtown L.A.
Given that snow can occur (though very rarely) with temperatures as warm as 50°F (10°C) and occurs with some frequency between 40-45°F (4-7°C), why has there not been snow in L.A. since 1960 when temperatures dip into the lower 40s and even the upper 30s at night multiple times per winter and winter is Southern California's season for precipitation?
Much of the southland is at sea level, or a few hundred feed above. Its also fairly far south - it doesn't snow in Savanah either. Of course, in the surrounding san gabriels, at 5-10k ft, you get plenty of snow.
The Sierras block snow up past the 40th parallel. Chico has plenty of palm trees, rarely gets snow, and is nearly at the same latitude as Philadelphia. Like much of close-to-sea-level California, it's USDA zone 9b (some spots nearby are 9a). Now to get to 9b in Texas, you have to be right on the immediate coast or south of Corpus Christi. Even Houston and San Antonio are 9a and San Antonio's suburbs are 8b. Even Phoenix is just 9b, and to get to 9b in Florida you need to be south of I-4.
The LA basin is protected by the San Gabriels on top of that, and are mostly zone 10 or 11. The only other place in the CONUS in zones 10 or 11 outside California is coastal South Florida. Without the protection of the San Gabriels, Bakersfield is zone 9b and its average January low is one degree warmer than Sacramento's four degrees of latitude to the north.
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