If you have ever been to or lived in LA, then you know from experience that the weather in LA is great. The winter is never really cold compared to other places throughout the country, and the summers are sunny and warm.
There are a few different factors that contribute to LA’s good weather. The Eastern Pacific High is one of these reasons, along with the surrounding desert climate and Pacific breeze.
There are several reasons why the weather in LA is so good. If you are interested in hearing all about why LA has such great weather, then you should continue reading the sections below.
Eastern Pacific High Causes Warmer Air in LA
Many of you might not have heard about the Eastern Pacific High before, let alone know what it means. This is a term that is mostly known by meteorologists and sciencey people. If you are not one of those two things, then odds are you probably haven’t heard about the Eastern Pacific High
The Eastern Pacific High is a somewhat permanent body of air pressure that expands in the summer and contracts in the winter. The impact that the Eastern Pacific High has on LA weather is that it causes the descending air to be warmed up on its way down. If it weren’t for this, the air in LA would be colder, and the weather would not be as good.
In addition, this warming of the air caused by the pressure exerted by the Eastern Pacific High typically doesn’t create clouds which is why there are so many days with clear skies in LA.
LA’s Surrounding Desert-Like Terrain Brings Dry Air
Another reason that explains why LA weather is so good is the terrain. When air flows from the ocean into the land, it can oftentimes pick up moisture which causes high humidity to take place.
However, because LA and southern California have desert-like terrains, there is little moisture to be picked up by the sea breeze. This is why LA isn’t humid like Miami is despite both being coastal cities. Because Miami is surrounded by the everglades, which is a very large area of water and marshes, they are much more prone to experience high moisture.
So although you might not like to live in the desert terrain, you should be thankful for it. At the end of the day, it is the reason why you don’t have to experience hot, humid summer days like people in Florida and other parts of the U.S have to.
The Nearby Pacific Ocean Brings the Sea Breeze
The Pacific Ocean is also a big reason why LA weather is so good. As it was mentioned earlier, the sea breeze is one reason why LA has good weather, but one important detail was left out.
Aside from the fact that the incoming sea breeze doesn’t pick up moisture from the terrain on land, a big reason why the sea breeze isn’t moist is the temperature of the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific tends to be much cooler than the Atlantic and Caribbean waters that surround Florida, Texas, Louisiana, etc.
For example, during the wintertime, the temperature in the Pacific is around 56 degrees. Meanwhile, the temperature in the Gulf streams of the Gulf of Mexico is around 80. The result of this is that when the incoming sea breeze hits the coast of Florida, it has already picked up a lot of moisture from the warm Gulf waters.
On the other hand, when the incoming sea breezes reach southern California places, like LA, it doesn’t have much moisture since the Pacific wasn’t warm at the time.
If you live in California, you have probably complained at one point or another about how cold the ocean is when you visit the beach. However, if you enjoy the weather in southern California, and specifically LA, you should be happy that it is as cold as it is. Otherwise, you would experience more moisture in the air than you probably feel comfortable with.
Conclusion
There are several reasons why the weather in LA is so good. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the geographic location of LA. The fact that the Pacific ocean tends to be cooler than the Atlantic highly contributes to the great weather seen in LA.
People love warm, sunny days, but most people dislike air moisture. Luckily for LA, the Pacific, the Eastern Pacific High, and the desert terrain that surrounds LA all play a role in making sure moisture in LA remains low. Next time you visit LA, or go out and enjoy a sunny day if you live there, you can remember what causes the weather to be so good.
