Is L.A. getting more humid? (Of ice cubes and humidity)

Factual Questions
1

(Not that we get any more rain.)

I have lived on the Westside for nineteen years, and before that attended six years of public school in the same area, and two years of graduate school. Southern California is known for its dry climate, but for about the past two or three years, I have noticed that I “feel” humidity a lot more than I used to. We’ve always had the typical marine-layer overcast in the spring, and in May or June it’s not uncommon that we don’t see the sun more than a couple of hours a day, its light filtered to wanness through a hazy layer of cloud. Lately though I feel the humidity. I feel it in the back of my shirt if I have been exerting myself. I wake up in the morning and the back of my neck is clammy.

It could be age, or the result of prescription side effects.

But then, the ice cubes in my soda or juice now usually clump together. I never used to see that except when out of town, visiting humid places like Chicago. Since in L.A. the ice cubes always tended to float freely of each other, I thought that was possibly an indicator of humidity. I notice the behavior of ice cubes, because I like to suck on the ice after I finish the drink. To do this now, I have to reach in, pull out the agglomerated mass of ice cubes, and break off a piece. (Only at home, of course). Until 2 or 3 years ago, the cubes were always loose. I just had to tilt the glass, and down would come the next ice cube to be savored. I notice I only seem to have this problem at home where we usually don’t use the AC; in restaurants the AC is usually blasting, and the ice stays loose.

So, is L.A. really getting more humid? And is there any connection between humidity and ice cube behavior?

2

Given that relative humidity in the Los Angeles basin runs on average from 65% in the afternoon, to as high as 79% average in the mornings, and can run as high in the mornings as 86%, depending on the month, I’m not certain what it is that makes you think Los Angeles is a dry climate… :eek:

Cite to weather statistics for LA

3

I’m waiting for the day when global warming causes summer weather patterns to flip flop between the East Coast and the West Coast–we get the warm, reasonably humid weather, and the West Coast gets the 90-100 degree heat with 90% humidity. I wonder when that will happen? :slight_smile: