Los Angeles, CA

Station Overview

Graphical Climatology of Downtown Los Angeles: Daily Temperatures and Rainfall, by Year (1877 - Present)

The following is a graphical climatology of Downtown Los Angeles, California temperatures and precipitation, from 1877 into 2025. Included are summary overview charts followed by 149-year-to-year graphs depicting daily temperatures, temperature anomalies, and rainfall. The 1877-to-present period of record comprises observations accessed from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the NOAA Online Data Weather Data Site (NOWDATA) and the NWS Office-Los Angeles/Oxnard site (Downtown Los Angeles Climate page): http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=lox .

http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=loxThe following is a graphical climatology of Downtown Los Angeles, California temperatures and precipitation, from 1877 into 2025. Included are summary overview charts followed by 149-year-to-year graphs depicting daily temperatures, temperature anomalies, and rainfall. The 1877-to-present period of record comprises observations accessed from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the NOAA Online Data Weather Data Site (NOWDATA) and the NWS Office-Los Angeles/Oxnard site (Downtown Los Angeles Climate page): http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=lox .

Data Collection 01

Climate Overview Graphs — RECENT YEARS

Downtown Los Angeles July-June Seasonal Precipitation Totals (1877-78 thru 2024-25 Seasons) NewNew (7/2/25)
Box Plot for Downtown Los Angeles Historical Monthly Rainfall
Box Plot of Downtown Los Angeles Historical Monthly Max Temps
Downtown Los Angeles Average Monthly Rainfall for El Nino, La Nina, & Neutral Episodes| Downtown Los Angeles Average Season-to-Date Rainfall Curves for El Nino, La Nina, & Neutral Episodes Downtown Los Angeles Pct. Frequencies of >=0.01 in., >=0.125 in., >= 0.25 in, >=0.50 and >=1.00 in. Rainfall Days, by Calendar Day (1877-2020)
Downtown Los Angeles Average Season-to-Date Rainfall Curves for El Nino, La Nina, & Neutral EpisodesDowntown Los Angeles Average Monthly Rainfall for El Nino, La Nina, & Neutral Episodes | Downtown Los Angeles Average Season-to-Date Rainfall Curves for El Nino, La Nina, & Neutral Episodes Downtown Los Angeles Pct. Frequencies of >=0.01 in., >=0.125 in., >= 0.25 in, >=0.50 and >=1.00 in. Rainfall Days, by Calendar Day (1877-2020)
Downtown Los Angeles Pct. Frequencies of >=0.01 in., >=0.125 in., >= 0.25 in, >=0.50 and >=1.00 in. Rainfall Days, by Calendar Day (1877-2020)Downtown Los Angeles Average Monthly Rainfall for El Nino, La Nina, & Neutral Episodes | Downtown Los Angeles Average Season-to-Date Rainfall Curves for El Nino, La Nina, & Neutral Episodes Downtown Los Angeles Pct. Frequencies of >=0.01 in., >=0.125 in., >= 0.25 in, >=0.50 and >=1.00 in. Rainfall Days, by Calendar Day (1877-2020)

Data Collection 02

Annual Mean Temperature:

Downtown Los Angeles Annual Mean Temperatures (1878-2025) NewNew - (1/9/26)

Data Collection 03

Climograms For Los Angeles Int’L Airport:

Data Collection 04

Other Climate Summaries:

Downtown Los Angeles Average Daily Temperature Ranges, by Calendar Day
Coldest Wind Chill Temperatures, by Year (1948-2023) NewNew (9/6/23)
Warmest Heat Index Temperatures, by Year (1948-2023) NewNew (9/6/23)
Downtown Los Angeles Average Day-to-Day Variability in Mean, Max, & Min Temperatures, by Calendar Day
Downtown Los Angeles Inter-Year Variability (Standard Deviation) Statistics for Daily Mean, Max, & Min Temperatures
Record Warmest Combined Max/Min's by Calendar Day (1877-2021) NewNew (2/24/21) Record Coldest Combined Max/Min's by Calendar Day (1877-2021 ) New (2/24/2021)
Record Coldest Combined Max/Min's by Calendar Day (1877-2021 NewRecord Warmest Combined Max/Min's by Calendar Day (1877-2021) New (2/24/21) Record Coldest Combined Max/Min's by Calendar Day (1877-2021 ) New (2/24/2021)
Cluster Analysis of LAX Diurnal Resultant Winds' Patterns
Cluster Analysis of Long Beach Diurnal Resultant Winds' Patterns

Data Collection 05

Year-To-Year Graphs - Interpretation

The uppermost chart for a given year’s page (accessed by the links below) are “floating-bars” of the year's daily maxima and minima temperatures. Superimposed on the bars are two line traces, the upper one connecting long-term mean daily maxima, the lower one mean daily minima.

The bars depict the varying diurnal, synoptic, long-wave, seasonal, and sea-surface temperature anomaly influences on L.A. temperature over time

The second chart down shows the day-to-day mean temperature anomalies (daily mean temperature less the corresponding long-term climatological mean). Vertical lines extending upward from the zero line (colored red) indicate above average means for the day, those extending downward (colored blue) depict below average ones. In general, the most extreme departures for Downtown Los Angeles are positive, reflecting to a large extent the occurrence of warming offshore flow episodes. (Clicking on the floating-bar charts a second time after they appear on the screen will enlarge them even further).

Data Collection 06

Year-To-Year Graphs — OLDER YEARS

The third chart down shows the second chart’s anomalies in deseasonalized (“standardized”) form. Those of plus or minus 3.0 z occur just 0.5% of the time; nearly all of these positively signed, again reflecting extreme warming offshore flow episodes. Greatest positive departure in the record is +5.63 for 7 June 1890, greatest negative –3.13 for 22 January 1937.

The bottom chart depicts daily precipitation totals, as high as 5.88 inches (2 March 1938).

Data Collection 07

Links To Some Of The More Interesting Year-To-Year Graphs, With Accompanying Notes

Coolest Year in History (59.9 F).

Wettest Calendar Year in History (40.29").

108 F in September.

December wettest calendar month in history (15.80").

105 F/70 F on 7 June.

In otherwise cool year, 109 F on 25 July, warmest in history until 110 F on 1 September 1955.

Eight-day ramp-up in daily temperatures, from 58 F/30 F on 21 December to 89 F/57 F on 29th.

Eight-consecutive-day offshore flow episode in February, max temperatures all in 80's F.

Quasi-periodic, well above normal, but abbreviated temperature spells over late August into early November.

6.99" precipitation in March, but just 9.78" for entire year.

Sharp cold front drops mercury to record all-time low 28 F on 7 January, following 83 F maximum on the 3rd. 4.80" rain on 24 Feb. 108 F on 17 September.

March/April and October/November each unseasonably warm, the other calendar months unseasonably cool.

February to April unseasonably warm, rest of year mostly unseasonably cool.

Following a cooler than normal earlier part of the year, quasi-periodic, abbreviated, but much above normal temperature spells appear June on.

More than 7 ½” rain in April – most for any April in all history (1878-present).

Warmest year in the historical record up to this point.

Sharp early December cold snap follows warmest November of the entire history (1877-present).

Very cold January, highest temperature only 61 F. Each of the year’s first 58 days colder than average. Killing freezes all over SoCal.

Torrential late February/early March rains cause severe local flooding; 11.06" rain over five days, 5.88” on 2 March.

Week-long September heat wave precedes landfall of dissipating hurricane, which drops more than 5” rain in Downtown LA. Warmest December of entire history (1877-present).

Driest calendar year (4.08”) in all history.

Eight-day run of 100 F or higher maxima from 31 August; 110 F on 1 September.

Warmest calendar year to date.

Late September heat wave.

October heat wave, but more than 15” rain in November and December.

100 F on 1 November.

Highly irregular day-to-day temperature pattern over course of year. Nearly 8 3/4” rain in November.

January wettest calendar month (14.94”) since December 1889.

Another highly irregular day-to-day temperature pattern over course of year.

Coolest year since 1948.

Warmest year of entire history to date. Heavy February rains.

Another record warm year (surpasses 1980’s mark by 1.2 F). June also warmest in history.

Great El Nino year. Wettest calendar year, 1921-present (34.04”). Another record warmest year (surpasses 1981’s mark by <0.1 F).

September warmest calendar month in all history.

Warmest July in all history up to this time - 107 F on 1st.

Warmest January in all history.

110 F on 1 September.

106 F in April surpasses previous high mark for month by 7 F.

112 F on 26 June sets all time high mark for any month. Late December cold spell.

Warmest April of entire history.

More than 12 ½” rain in January. Warmest February of entire history.

No recorded rainfall from 18 Feb through 24 Sep – 219 days.

The other great El Nino year of the 20th Century. Nearly 13 ¾” rain in February.

Coolest year since 1975.

Coolest March since 1962. Warmest July in all history.

113 F on 27 September sets all time highest mark for any month.

Warmest Year since 1997.

July Wettest in History (0.38")

Data Collection 08

Analytics

Sample Regimes, PCA Modes, PDFs & Extremes+

Temperature+

Regimes+

Sample analysis: group years by recurring seasonal temperature patterns for Los Angeles, then compare transitions between common, unusual and persistent regimes. This is sample Analytics content for layout and workflow testing. Replace it with the station’s verified analysis when the final material is ready.

Extremes+

Sample analysis: review the upper and lower tails of the heat record for Los Angeles and identify years that merit detailed chart interpretation. This is sample Analytics content for layout and workflow testing. Replace it with the station’s verified analysis when the final material is ready.

Rainfall+

PDFs+

Sample analysis: compare the central distribution and tail behavior of episodic rainfall observations at Los Angeles. This is sample Analytics content for layout and workflow testing. Replace it with the station’s verified analysis when the final material is ready.