Los Angeles is known for its great weather, but those of us who have lived here for many years are well acquainted with the quirks and inconsistencies in the weather patterns. I was born and raised in L.A. and have lived here for the majority of my life, and know first-hand that there are a few cold nights during the winter in which the temperature drops to the upper 20’s Fahrenheit where I currently live. Generally speaking, though, those of us who live in Los Angeles are usually blessed with pretty nice weather most of the time. We often get sunny days with moderate temperatures, and the oppressive humidity which our East Coast beach fantasy counterpart, i.e. Florida, must deal with around this time of the year doesn’t hit us until August and September. No wonder people think we are spoiled with good weather in Los Angeles, because we are.

However, an odd pattern has emerged with the weather lately, in which one week will be blazing hot, reaching temperatures in the high-80’s to mid-90’s, only to be followed by overcast skies and much cooler weather (low to mid-60’s) and the threat of rain the following week. It has become next to impossible to determine how to dress for the day when such fluctuations assert themselves. As an example, last week was so hot that I wore tank tops the entire week, but this week I am bundled up in a warm sweater and leggings. According to the extended weather forecast, things will warm up again next week, with temperatures rising into the 80’s once more. I wouldn’t mind so much if the weather fluctuated from warm to a bit chilly, which would be appropriate for the spring months, but the summer heat has made its appearance far too often this season. Basically, we toggle back and forth on a weekly basis from spring weather to summer weather, and April showers seem to have largely eluded us. When the mercury drops and rain clouds hover over the southland, many of us hope for rain so that the state of California can find some relief from the severe drought it is in, but we just get the overcast skies and perhaps a light drizzle. It is such a tease!