A few rainy days this month have made all the difference for Los Angeles rain totals. The National Weather Service says this December has been the wettest month in six years, with rain totals in Downtown of just over four inches—“nearly double the historical average for December,” reports the Los Angeles Times.
December is not over yet, and neither is the rain; showers of up to half an inch are expected across Los Angeles County tonight into tomorrow.
National Weather Service meteorologist David Sweet told the Times there’s an 80 percent chance of rain early Friday morning, a chance of rain that evening, and a 40 percent chance of rain Saturday afternoon into the evening. It’s expected to clear up in time for the Rose Parade, says the Daily News.
Snow levels might drop down as low as 3,500 feet Saturday, meaning 2017 could well start off with even snowier local mountains. (It also means potential problems for people trying to drive to Las Vegas.)
Half an inch isn’t exactly a downpour—storms that blew through LA last week brought up to two inches of rain to parts of LA, says the Times—but that half inch would be a welcome addition to an already soggy month.
But even with this especially damp December, Los Angeles County remains in either extreme or (worse) exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.