If you feel like this winter has been particularly rainy, you’re not alone. San Francisco, renowned for its gloomy weather, and sun-soaked Los Angeles, have both surprisingly surpassed Seattle’s rainfall totals this year, challenging the latter city’s well-known reputation as a “Rain City.”
According to the National Weather Service in Seattle, the city famous for its drizzles has only managed to gather 12.91 inches of rainfall this year, making up just 86% of its average yearly totals. Meanwhile, San Francisco has significantly surpassed its usual rainfall figure and even beat out Seattle’s totals so far.
Los Angeles topped the list with a near-record 15.33 inches of rainfall, a substantial 194% of its typical annual amount. Not to be outdone, San Francisco came in second, collecting 13.58 inches, marking 183% of its normal precipitation levels. Finally, San Diego rounds out the West Coast, as the city saw some substantial rainfall and floods this year, accumulating 10.89 inches, which is more than 183% of its average.
Essentially, California has seen above-average rainfall, while Seattle has fallen below-average.
Why did California get so much rain this year?
The 2024 rainfall anomaly is largely attributed to El Niño, a global climate pattern known for intensifying the subtropical jet stream and redirecting storms towards Central and Southern California, particularly between January and April.
This shift from fog to unexpected rainfall for San Francisco aligns with a broader weather pattern influenced by El Niño. While Seattleites might be enjoying a slight reprieve from their usual rainy season, residents across California, including those in SF, are adapting to more frequent and significant downpours.
The Bay Area has been no stranger to rain this year, as our previous reports highlighted. This year, continuous rain has been a recurrent theme, with forecasts predicting more showers and potential atmospheric rivers, which have historically brought substantial rain and snow to the region.
By Catherine Huynh and Dana Flynn