March Hotter Than May? Weird Weather Marks 'Reverse Spring' In Downtown LA
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Things are a little backward in Southern California, at least weather-wise.
An unusual wave of weather over the last few months has seen the Southland experience a trend of dropping temperatures between March and May in what meteorologists are calling a kind of "reverse spring" - an event which hasn't occurred in nearly a century.
In downtown Los Angeles, March - which is typically considered the start of the meteorological spring - was the warmest month and May was the coolest, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures for the city averaged about 68 degrees in March, compared with 65 degrees in April and 64 in May, according to National Weather Service (NWS) data.
It marked the first time the rare weather event occurred since 1921 and only the third time a reverse meteorological spring has taken place since records began in 1877.
In fact, the average temperature for May was exactly the same as that of February, according to NWS data.
But despite the changes, National Weather Service meteorologist Stuart Seto told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO it's still unclear whether the reversal will have any affect on the state's four-year drought.
"Hopefully, this winter months we'll see increased rain amounts above our normal levels to help us start catching up, ease the drought conditions," said Seto.