Local climate has its extremes

Kris O’Donnell

Newport-Mesa residents generally bask in temperate weather

conditions, but long-timers know that nothing remains the same.

Larry Riddle, a climatologist at the Center for Coastal Studies at

Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, said this June was

among the cloudiest.

“We are currently experiencing the third worst June Gloom in

recorded history,” Riddle said. “The second worst was in 1982, with

the worst was in 1969.”

The area’s local weather conditions are the result of many

variables: The ocean, the fluctuating sea surface temperatures, the

mountains, deserts and coastal flats. The interaction between these

variables has resulted in many extremes.

In 1939, there was a tropical storm -- some have mistakenly called

it a hurricane -- that made its way to Southern California. The

result was the destruction and the sweeping away of 500 feet of

Newport Pier’s seaward side.

“We do not get hurricanes in Southern California because the water

temperature is too cool. A hurricane gets its energy from the warm

ocean,” Riddle said. “If you remove the source of energy by moving a

hurricane over cold water or over land, it will weaken. If anything,

we get the remnants of hurricanes or tropical cyclones.”

The only time in history that remnants of a tropical storm, with

hurricane-force winds more than 100 mph, has struck Los Angeles was

on Aug. 23, 1838. It leveled the then-small city.

Other climatic extremes from the past, according to the Federal

Emergency Management Agency include:

* In July 1902, the remnants of a tropical cyclone that made

landfall in southern Baja California produced rainfall of up to 2

inches in Southern California. This occurred during the strong El

Nino of 1901-02.

* In September 1918, the remnants of a tropical cyclone tracking

to the north-northwest off the coast of Baja California generated 7

inches of rainfall in Southern California.

* In September 1939, four storms affected Southern California that

month. Near the end of the month, a tropical cyclone, moving to the

northeast moved onshore at Long Beach with sustained winds of 50 mph.

Severe damage was sustained by several Southern California piers,

including Newport’s and Balboa’s. This is only the second-known

Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone to move onshore into Southern

California at tropical storm strength. All these storms occurred

during the El Nino of 1938-39.

* In August 1951, a hurricane moving north-northwest just off the

west coast of Baja California moved northeastward into northern Baja

California and dissipated. Moisture from this tropical cyclone

resulted in rainfall of 2 to 5 inches in the southern mountains and

deserts of Southern California from Aug. 27 to 29.

* In September 1963, northeastward moving tropical storm Katherine

brought up to 7 inches of rainfall to Southern California. This

occurred during the El Nino of 1963-64.

* In September 1972, Hurricane Hyacinth moved far west before

recurving to the northeast. The remnants made landfall between Los

Angeles and San Diego on Sept. 3 with winds of 25 mph and rainfall of

up to 1 inch. This tropical cyclone holds the distinction of

traveling the farthest west before recurving and making landfall in

Southern California. This occurred during the El Nino of 1972-73.

* In September 1982, the remnants of Hurricane Olivia recurved

northeastward across Southern California with rainfall up to 4 inches

from Sept. 24 to 26. This occurred during the strong El Nino of

1982-83.

* LOOKING BACK runs Sundays. Do you know of a person, place or

event that deserves a historical look back? Let us know. Contact

James Meier by fax at (949) 646-4170; e-mail at

james.meier@latimes.com; or mail at c/o Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St.,

Costa Mesa, CA 92627.