Rainfall at the Getty Center. Photo courtesy of MonicaVolpin & Pixabay.com.
See also:
Monthly Rainfall by Season - Downtown Los Angeles
Record Wettest & Driest Seasons & Wettest Days - Downtown Los Angeles
Total Rainfall by Season - Los Angeles International Airport
Total Rainfall by Season - Burbank
Total Rainfall by Season - Lancaster
Total Rainfall by Season - Long Beach
Total Rainfall by Season - Palmdale
Total Rainfall by Season - Pasadena
Total Rainfall by Season - Sandberg
Total Rainfall by Season - Santa Catalina Island
Total Rainfall by Season - Santa Clarita
Total Rainfall by Season - Santa Fe Dam (San Gabriel Valley)
Total Rainfall by Season - Santa Monica
Total Rainfall by Season - Van Nuys, Los Angeles
Total Rainfall by Season - Westwood, Los Angeles
Total Rainfall by Season - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles
NOTE: When most weather reporting sources cite weather in Los Angeles (without specifying where, exactly, in Los Angeles), these numbers are typically for the Downtown Los Angeles weather station (actually located on the USC campus).
This last rainfall season (2017-2018) was the driest for Los Angeles since 2006-2007 and the third driest since rainfall records began being kept in 1877.
Downtown Los Angeles historical seasonal rainfall chart, 1877-2018. Click on image for larger image.
In July 1999, for the start of the 1999-2000 rain season, the Downtown Los Angeles weather station was relocated from the upper level of a two-story parking structure at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) building to a ground-level, park-like setting on the University of Southern California (USC) campus. This was the first time that the downtown station was located outside the city center of Los Angeles. The move was part of a nationwide effort by the National Weather Service to locate all weather stations at ground-level with more natural surroundings. The USC location is almost four miles closer to the coast and about 90 feet lower in elevation than the former DWP location. The relocation naturally drew some concern by meteorologists about the continuity of overall historic weather data trends for Downtown Los Angeles station.
Average for seasons 1877 through 2019: 14.73 inches*
| Season (July 1-June 30) | Total Inches of Rainfall | Inches Above/Below (+/-) Overall Season Average* |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | See month-by-month numbers as season unfolds. | |
| 2018-2019 | 18.82 | +4.09 |
| 2017-2018 | 4.79 | -9.94 |
| 2016-2017 | 19.00 | +4.27 |
| 2015-2016 | 9.65 | -5.08 |
| 2014-2015 | 8.52 | -6.21 |
| 2013-2014 | 6.08 | -8.65 |
| 2012-2013 | 5.85 | -8.88 |
| 2011-2012 | 8.69 | -6.04 |
| 2010-2011 | 20.20 | +5.47 |
| 2009-2010 | 16.36 | +1.63 |
| 2008-2009 | 9.08 | -5.65 |
| 2007-2008 | 13.53 | -1.20 |
| 2006-2007 | 3.21 | -11.52 |
| 2005-2006 | 13.19 | -1.54 |
| 2004-2005 | 37.25 | +22.52 |
| 2003-2004 | 9.24 | -5.49 |
| 2002-2003 | 16.49 | +1.76 |
| 2001-2002 | 4.42 | -10.31 |
| 2000-2001 | 17.94 | +3.21 |
| 1999-2000 | 11.57 | -3.16 |
| 1998-1999 | 9.09 | -5.64 |
| 1997-1998 | 31.01 | +16.28 |
| 1996-1997 | 12.40 | -2.33 |
| 1995-1996 | 12.46 | -2.27 |
| 1994-1995 | 24.35 | +9.62 |
| 1993-1994 | 8.11 | -6.62 |
| 1992-1993 | 27.36 | +12.63 |
| 1991-1992 | 21.00 | +6.27 |
| 1990-1991 | 11.47 | -3.26 |
| 1989-1990 | 7.35 | -7.38 |
| 1988-1989 | 8.08 | -6.65 |
| 1987-1988 | 12.48 | -2.25 |
| 1986-1987 | 7.66 | -7.07 |
| 1985-1986 | 17.86 | +3.13 |
| 1984-1985 | 12.82 | -1.91 |
| 1983-1984 | 10.43 | -4.30 |
| 1982-1983 | 31.25 | +16.52 |
| 1981-1982 | 10.71 | -4.02 |
| 1980-1981 | 8.98 | -5.75 |
| 1979-1980 | 26.98 | +12.25 |
| 1978-1979 | 19.67 | +4.94 |
| 1977-1978 | 33.44 | +18.71 |
| 1976-1977 | 12.31 | -2.42 |
| 1975-1976 | 7.22 | -7.51 |
| 1974-1975 | 14.35 | -0.38 |
| 1973-1974 | 14.92 | +0.19 |
| 1972-1973 | 21.26 | +6.53 |
| 1971-1972 | 7.17 | -7.56 |
| 1970-1971 | 12.32 | -2.41 |
| 1969-1970 | 7.77 | -6.96 |
| 1968-1969 | 27.47 | +12.74 |
| 1967-1968 | 16.58 | +1.85 |
| 1966-1967 | 22.00 | +7.27 |
| 1965-1966 | 20.44 | +5.71 |
| 1964-1965 | 13.69 | -1.04 |
| 1963-1964 | 7.93 | -6.80 |
| 1962-1963 | 8.38 | -6.35 |
| 1961-1962 | 18.79 | +4.06 |
| 1960-1961 | 4.85 | -9.88 |
| 1959-1960 | 8.18 | -6.55 |
| 1958-1959 | 5.58 | -9.15 |
| 1957-1958 | 21.13 | +6.40 |
| 1956-1957 | 9.54 | -5.19 |
| 1955-1956 | 16.00 | +1.27 |
| 1954-1955 | 11.94 | -2.79 |
| 1953-1954 | 11.99 | -2.74 |
| 1952-1953 | 9.46 | -5.27 |
| 1951-1952 | 26.21 | +11.48 |
| 1950-1951 | 8.21 | -6.52 |
| 1949-1950 | 10.60 | -4.13 |
| 1948-1949 | 7.99 | -6.74 |
| 1947-1948 | 7.22 | -7.51 |
| 1946-1947 | 12.61 | -2.12 |
| 1945-1946 | 12.13 | -2.60 |
| 1944-1945 | 11.58 | -3.15 |
| 1943-1944 | 19.21 | +4.48 |
| 1942-1943 | 19.17 | +4.44 |
| 1941-1942 | 11.18 | -3.55 |
| 1940-1941 | 32.76** | +18.03 |
| 1939-1940 | 18.96 | +4.23 |
| 1938-1939 | 13.06** | -1.67 |
| 1937-1938 | 23.43 | +8.70 |
| 1936-1937 | 22.41 | +7.68 |
| 1935-1936 | 12.07 | -2.66 |
| 1934-1935 | 21.66 | +6.93 |
| 1933-1934 | 14.55 | -0.18 |
| 1932-1933 | 11.84 | -2.89 |
| 1931-1932 | 16.95 | +2.22 |
| 1930-1931 | 12.53 | -2.20 |
| 1929-1930 | 12.50 | -2.23 |
| 1928-1929 | 12.66 | -2.07 |
| 1927-1928 | 9.77 | -4.96 |
| 1926-1927 | 17.44** | +2.71 |
| 1925-1926 | 17.56 | +2.83 |
| 1924-1925 | 7.38** | -7.35 |
| 1923-1924 | 6.67 | -8.06 |
| 1922-1923 | 9.59 | -5.14 |
| 1921-1922 | 19.66 | +4.93 |
| 1920-1921 | 13.71 | -1.02 |
| 1919-1920 | 12.52 | -2.21 |
| 1918-1919 | 8.58 | -6.15 |
| 1917-1918 | 13.86 | -0.87 |
| 1916-1917 | 15.26 | +0.53 |
| 1915-1916 | 19.92 | +5.19 |
| 1914-1915 | 17.05 | +2.32 |
| 1913-1914 | 23.65 | +8.92 |
| 1912-1913 | 13.42 | -1.31 |
| 1911-1912 | 11.60 | -3.13 |
| 1910-1911 | 16.18 | +1.45 |
| 1909-1910 | 12.63 | -2.10 |
| 1908-1909 | 19.18 | +4.45 |
| 1907-1908 | 11.72 | -3.01 |
| 1906-1907 | 19.30 | +4.57 |
| 1905-1906 | 18.65 | +3.92 |
| 1904-1905 | 19.52 | +4.79 |
| 1903-1904 | 8.72 | -6.01 |
| 1902-1903 | 19.32 | +4.59 |
| 1901-1902 | 10.60 | -4.13 |
| 1900-1901 | 16.29 | +1.56 |
| 1899-1900 | 7.91 | -6.82 |
| 1898-1899 | 5.59 | -9.14 |
| 1897-1898 | 7.06 | -7.67 |
| 1896-1897 | 16.86 | +2.13 |
| 1895-1896 | 8.51 | -6.22 |
| 1894-1895 | 16.11 | +1.38 |
| 1893-1894 | 6.73 | -8.00 |
| 1892-1893 | 26.28 | +11.55 |
| 1891-1892 | 11.85 | -2.88 |
| 1890-1891 | 13.36 | -1.37 |
| 1889-1890 | 34.84 | +20.11 |
| 1888-1889 | 19.28 | +4.55 |
| 1887-1888 | 13.87 | -0.86 |
| 1886-1887 | 14.05 | -0.68 |
| 1885-1886 | 22.31 | +7.58 |
| 1884-1885 | 9.21 | -5.52 |
| 1883-1884 | 38.18 | +23.45 |
| 1882-1883 | 12.11 | -2.62 |
| 1881-1882 | 10.40 | -4.33 |
| 1880-1881 | 13.13 | -1.60 |
| 1879-1880 | 20.34 | +5.61 |
| 1878-1879 | 11.35 | -3.38 |
| 1877-1878 | 21.26 | +6.53 |
* Overall seasonal average above is for all seasons 1877 through first half of 2019. Keep in mind that a few seasons of high rainfall skews the average upwards. "Normal" or average seasonal precipitation for Downtown Los Angeles, typically provided by the National Weather Service, is 14.93 inches, based upon the average for seasons from 1981 through 2010.
** One or more months during the season was missing data for five or more days.
Source: National Weather Service
