Looks like Southern California got its January rain in July.

[SunSeeker]

Normally we get our rains in January and our July is bone dry. But this year the months seemed to swap in terms of rain totals.

San Diego broke its all-time July rainfall record Saturday when 1.03 inches fell. That broke not only the July single-day record of 0.83 inches set July 25, 1902, but also the record for an entire July's rainfall, which was 0.92 inches July 1-31, 1902.

It's also more rain than San Diego saw in all of January this year; on average, January is the second-wettest month and July the second-driest, with January averaging 66 times more rainfall than July. The only other time July has out-dampened January in San Diego was 1976, when July had 0.02 inch to January's trace.

Later in the day, Los Angeles broke its own July records. Downtown Los Angeles picked up 0.28 inch, which broke the July full-month record of 0.24 inch from July 1-31, 1886. Los Angeles International Airport saw 0.32 inch of rain, tying the record for all of July set in 1992.

http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/southwest-flood-threat-july-2015-tropical-storm-hurricane-dolores

[JayhawkSD]

1. No, this was not El Nino

Looks like "the baby" might be coming, but this was moisture generated by a tropical storm that had fallen apart before it drifted north. It's not actually all that rare, and while Pacific hurricaine activity further south and west is influenced by El Nino, those off the Baja coast are not.

El Nino does not have any significant effect on us until the winter storm track sets up. Even then, there is a persistent high pressure offshore that, if it remains in place, will disrupt El Nino's normal pattern. It has been there a long time. We don't know why and we don't know when it will leave.

This event was nonetheless a bit dramatic, and the thunder scared the bejeezus out of my cat.

[SunSeeker]

2. I'll believe El Nino is coming when I see it.

I know this rain is not El Nino. This is just monsoonal moisture we get every year from tropical storm remnants. That usually just gives us a couple sprinkles but this year it's almost the amount of rain we should have gotten but didn't get in January. Hence the headline.

I imagine with global warming these monsoonal moisture events will continue to get more intense as tropical storms get more intense.

The problem with getting rain in the summer is that it does not create the snowpack we need, and can cause bad flash floods.

We need a good long winter soak from a strong El Nino. Seems to me they've predicted a winter El Nino every year of this drought and yet every year the drought gets worse. Sure hope they're right this time. But, as you indicate, it appears the warming of the oceans and the persistent high pressure/heat in the winter has disrupted the El Nino pattern.

[petronius]

3. And now the Central Coast is getting our turn!

<-- Turn that frown upside down...

A bit over 1/3" so far in SLO (only need another 60" or so to make up our long term drought deficit... )

[SunSeeker]

4. Yes, you guys are so dry your groundwater has saltwater intrusion.

Your aquifer is right long the coast and the local authorities have been fighting saltwater intrusion for years. You REALLY need rain.

[pinto]

5. Steady rain at my place. Along with rare lightning & thunder...and warm.

[petronius]

11. I was pretty confused by the flashes when I got woken up ~5 am, it's been

a long time since I've seen/heard lightning and thunder. And our poor little cat was pretty scared - she was born and raised in Louisiana, but I guess she's forgotten...

[Cleita]

15. Flashes?

I got Saturnian booms like I haven't in a long time. So happy that you didn't. However, right now it's steady rain and no booms. Kitty approves.

[chapdrum]

6. Are power outage reports true?

If so, are they tied to this small amount of rain?
Hope not.
Remember Obama talking about the need to repair the electrical infrastructure during his first campaign? I do.
Wonder who is going to take that on.

[SunSeeker]

7. I am not aware of any power outages.

But yeah, our infrastructure sucks, thanks to the GOP blocking any Dem attempts to increase funding for infrastructure.

[Agnosticsherbet]

8. As heard on NPR, this storm was due to a Pacific hurican that churned south of Baja a few days back.

Nice to see it.

[SoapBox]

9. Ugh! Hot and humid...

Couldn't believe it when I stuck my head out the door...almost 90 and that's in the South Bay.

Crazy.

[SunSeeker]

10. Yup, it's 90° with 60% humidity right now!

[SoapBox]

12. And now at 6:42P...

Raining again...steady drizzle...sky is all gray so looks like this continue for a little while.

[SunSeeker]

13. Forecast is rain and thunderstorms on and off through Monday!

The Metropolitan Cooperative Water District called the rains we got in May the "May miracle" because it brought reservoirs up an average of 10%. Hopefully these July rains will get us another 5% bump or so.

I know this won't get us out of the drought, but it's better than a stick in the eye!

[SoapBox]

14. I hadn't heard that forecast.

I hate gray and rain but...we need anything we can get.

[antiquie]

16. California rains cause I-10 bridge to collapse

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Los Angeles — All traffic along a major freeway connecting California and Arizona was blocked indefinitely when a bridge over a desert wash collapsed during heavy rain, and the roadway in the opposite direction suffered severe damage, authorities said.

The collapse on Interstate 10 in southeastern California Sunday afternoon left one driver injured, stranded numerous motorists and complicated travel for countless thousands for what officials warned could be a long time.

"Interstate 10 is closed completely and indefinitely," said Terri Kasinga, spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation.

[SunSeeker]

17. Amazing picture. Thanks. They’re predicting more rain today! nt

[PasadenaTrudy]

18. The I-40

must be crazy today.