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Total Seasonal Rainfall (Precipitation)
vs. Historical Seasonal Average

Downtown Los Angeles
(USC Campus)
1877-2023

Rain, Precipitation, Rainfall, Getty Center, Los Angeles

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 vs. Average - Beverly Hills
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Burbank
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Claremont
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Hawthorne
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Lancaster
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Long Beach
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Los Angeles International Airport
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Palmdale
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Pasadena
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Sandberg
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Santa Catalina Island
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Santa Clarita
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Santa Fe Dam (San Gabriel Valley)
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Santa Monica
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Torrance
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Van Nuys, Los Angeles
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Westwood, Los Angeles
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - Whittier
-- Total Rainfall by Season vs. Average - 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).

Of the ten driest seasons for Downtown L.A. since 1877, six occurred within the last 20 years and four just within the last decade.



Downtown Los Angeles, Rainfall

Downtown Los Angeles historical seasonal rainfall chart, 1877-2022. 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, regarding the continuity of overall historic weather data trends for Downtown Los Angeles station.



Overall average for seasons beginning 1877 through 2022: 14.75 inches*

Season (July 1-June 30) Total Inches of Rainfall Inches Above/Below (+/-)
Overall Season Average*
2023-2024 See month-by-month numbers as season unfolds.
2022-2022 28.40 +13.65
2021-2022 5.82 -2.35
2020-2021 5.82 -8.93
2019-2020 14.86 +0.11
2018-2019 18.82 +4.07
2017-2018 4.79 -9.96
2016-2017 19.00 +4.25
2015-2016 9.65 -5.10
2014-2015 8.52 -6.23
2013-2014 6.08 -8.67
2012-2013 5.85 -8.90
2011-2012 8.69 -6.06
2010-2011 20.20 +5.45
2009-2010 16.36 +1.61
2008-2009 9.08 -5.67
2007-2008 13.53 -1.22
2006-2007 3.21 -11.54
2005-2006 13.19 -1.56
2004-2005 37.25 +22.50
2003-2004 9.24 -5.51
2002-2003 16.49 +1.74
2001-2002 4.42 -10.33
2000-2001 17.94 +3.19
1999-2000 11.57 -3.18
1998-1999 9.09 -5.66
1997-1998 31.01 +16.26
1996-1997 12.40 -2.35
1995-1996 12.46 -2.29
1994-1995 24.35 +9.60
1993-1994 8.11 -6.64
1992-1993 27.36 +12.61
1991-1992 21.00 +6.25
1990-1991 11.47 -3.28
1989-1990 7.35 -7.40
1988-1989 8.08 -6.67
1987-1988 12.48 -2.27
1986-1987 7.66 -7.09
1985-1986 17.86 +3.11
1984-1985 12.82 -1.93
1983-1984 10.43 -4.32
1982-1983 31.25 +16.50
1981-1982 10.71 -4.04
1980-1981 8.98 -5.77
1979-1980 26.98 +12.23
1978-1979 19.67 +4.92
1977-1978 33.44 +18.69
1976-1977 12.31 -2.44
1975-1976 7.22 -7.53
1974-1975 14.35 -0.40
1973-1974 14.92 +0.17
1972-1973 21.26 +6.51
1971-1972 7.17 -7.58
1970-1971 12.32 -2.43
1969-1970 7.77 -6.98
1968-1969 27.47 +12.72
1967-1968 16.58 +1.83
1966-1967 22.00 +7.25
1965-1966 20.44 +5.69
1964-1965 13.69 -1.06
1963-1964 7.93 -6.82
1962-1963 8.38 -6.37
1961-1962 18.79 +4.04
1960-1961 4.85 -9.90
1959-1960 8.18 -6.57
1958-1959 5.58 -9.17
1957-1958 21.13 +6.38
1956-1957 9.54 -5.21
1955-1956 16.00 +1.25
1954-1955 11.94 -2.81
1953-1954 11.99 -2.76
1952-1953 9.46 -5.29
1951-1952 26.21 +11.46
1950-1951 8.21 -6.54
1949-1950 10.60 -4.15
1948-1949 7.99 -6.76
1947-1948 7.22 -7.53
1946-1947 12.61 -2.14
1945-1946 12.13 -2.62
1944-1945 11.58 -3.17
1943-1944 19.21 +4.46
1942-1943 19.17 +4.42
1941-1942 11.18 -3.57
1940-1941 32.76 +18.01
1939-1940 18.96 +4.21
1938-1939 13.06 -1.69
1937-1938 23.43 +8.68
1936-1937 22.41 +7.66
1935-1936 12.07 -2.68
1934-1935 21.66 +6.91
1933-1934 14.55 -0.20
1932-1933 11.84 -2.91
1931-1932 16.95 +2.20
1930-1931 12.53 -2.22
1929-1930 12.50 -2.25
1928-1929 12.66 -2.09
1927-1928 9.77 -4.98
1926-1927 17.44 +2.69
1925-1926 17.56 +2.81
1924-1925 7.38 -7.37
1923-1924 6.67 -8.08
1922-1923 9.59 -5.16
1921-1922 19.66 +4.91
1920-1921 13.71 -1.04
1919-1920 12.52 -2.23
1918-1919 8.58 -6.17
1917-1918 13.86 -0.89
1916-1917 15.26 +0.51
1915-1916 19.92 +5.17
1914-1915 17.05 +2.30
1913-1914 23.65 +8.90
1912-1913 13.42 -1.33
1911-1912 11.60 -3.15
1910-1911 16.18 +1.43
1909-1910 12.63 -2.12
1908-1909 19.18 +4.43
1907-1908 11.72 -3.03
1906-1907 19.30 +4.55
1905-1906 18.65 +3.90
1904-1905 19.52 +4.77
1903-1904 8.72 -6.03
1902-1903 19.32 +4.57
1901-1902 10.60 -4.15
1900-1901 16.29 +1.54
1899-1900 7.91 -6.84
1898-1899 5.59 -9.16
1897-1898 7.06 -7.69
1896-1897 16.86 +2.11
1895-1896 8.51 -6.24
1894-1895 16.11 +1.36
1893-1894 6.73 -8.02
1892-1893 26.28 +11.53
1891-1892 11.85 -2.90
1890-1891 13.36 -1.39
1889-1890 34.84 +20.09
1888-1889 19.28 +4.53
1887-1888 13.87 -0.88
1886-1887 14.05 -0.70
1885-1886 22.31 +7.56
1884-1885 9.21 -5.54
1883-1884 38.18 +23.43
1882-1883 12.11 -2.64
1881-1882 10.40 -4.35
1880-1881 13.13 -1.62
1879-1880 20.34 +5.59
1878-1879 11.35 -3.40
1877-1878 21.26 +6.51
//

* Average as calculated over all years of available rainfall data. Keep in mind that a few seasons of high rainfall skew the average upwards. The current "normal" or average seasonal precipitation for this station, updated on May 4, 2021, is 14.25 inches, based upon the 30-year average for 1991 through 2020.
† One or more months during the season was missing data for five or more days.

Source: National Weather Service