Clear skies and spring-like temperatures are back in Studio City, following an unsettled weekend. The low pressure system responsible for the 1.4" of rain last week shifted east and touched off a swath of severe weather that caused damage across southern sections of the United States.
In it's place, a nice high pressure ridge has built in, allowing winds to shift offshore and temperatures to rise back above normal for the latter half of the week.
Friday will be the warm day. Highs are forecast to reach 78 in Studio City, while other spots in the San Fernando Valley will reach 80.
Warm Januaries are not unusual in Southern California. By the numbers, we're actually a little cooler this year than in previous years. The average daytime high temperature recorded in January at the Studio City Weather Center last year was 74 degrees. The year before that, 72 degrees. With just one day to go in January this year, we're averaging just 67 degrees.
As far as rainfall goes, January has never really been a big rainmaker. Historically, Southern California has averaged the majority of it's rainfall in the months of February and March. Even April last year brought a good amount of rain. So if we go by the book, the rainy months still lie ahead for us.
And we could see some of that rain later next week. The forecast models are all over the place in the long term, so it's very difficult to predict anything with confidence. Models are hinting at some kind of low pressure system next week. The disagreement is over what track the low will take. Some models bring it onshore before it heads our way, turning it into a more-windy-than-wet "inside slider," while other models bring it in over the Pacific, which would bring us some measure of rain.
But the headline for today is the warmer weather. Mid to upper 70's for the balance of the week, with increasing clouds over the weekend. Enjoy!
