# It's raining in Los Angeles
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 18, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403 "2010-01-18T06:17:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/1 "2010-01-18T06:17:27Z")
The forecast shows that it is going to rain steadily – and hard, at times – from today through Friday. There are apparently even going to be thunderstorms.
I predict the following:
[ul]
[li]My one-mile commute to work tomorrow will take an inordinate amount of time due to the horrendous driving that will result from the wet streets. [/li][li]The first three people I encounter in the office building will complain about how horrible it is outside. Included in the assessment will be the fact that it’s a “miserably cold” 60-degrees out.[/li][li]I will, despite actual efforts, be unable to avoid at least one newscast covering “Storm Watch 2010.”[/li][li]The above “Storm Watch 2010” coverage will include at least four field reporters in various, meaningless locations pointing out that – wait for it – it’s raining where they are. Same newscast will also include several gratuitous shots of cars driving through large puddles at big intersections.[/li][li]Someone who does something stupid will require rescuing from a flood control channel.[/li][li]I will forget my umbrella somewhere inconvenient.[/li][/ul]
Have a lovely week, LA!
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### Author:  [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/2 "2010-01-18T06:30:49Z")
Don’t forget the “percent of rain of a normal season so far” stats as well as the number of feet of fresh snow at the closest ski resorts!
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/3 "2010-01-18T07:10:34Z")
This could work in my favor. I’m starting a new semester this week and classes are in terribly short supply due to the budget cuts, meaning I couldn’t enroll for any of the ones I really need to count toward my major.
But if you show up on the first day they usually let in a few adds, and people who are enrolled but don’t show up get dropped. And people don’t like to come to class when it’s raining.
(honestly I’m sure it will still be very, very bad. I just hope it’s slightly less bad because of the weather)
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/4 "2010-01-18T08:21:17Z")
As I’ve said before, if you want to snarl traffic in LA, throw a glass of water on the freeway, if you want to shut down the city, make it a Slurpee
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/5 "2010-01-18T15:48:58Z")
> [@Asimovian](#):
>
> I will, despite actual efforts, be unable to avoid at least one newscast covering “Storm Watch 2010.”
Does KFI still have their “Super Duper Double-Dippler Doppler Radar”?
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### Author:  [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/6 "2010-01-18T15:51:09Z")
Water is falling from the sky! Ahhhhhh! It’s the end of days!
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### Author:  [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/7 "2010-01-18T16:00:34Z")
All kidding aside, the areas that burned in the last couple of years could be proper fucked by all this rain. We desperately need the snow pack, but a lot of people could see their homes buried in mud and debris (or 100 feet down a hill from where it was when the woke up in the morning).
This could be the biggest series of storms we’ve had in years- should be fun. Mental note- stay the hell away from the 405 this week…
🆒
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/8 "2010-01-18T16:01:15Z")
> [@Asimovian](#):
>
> My one-mile commute to work tomorrow will take an inordinate amount of time due to the horrendous driving that will result from the wet streets.
Do you really drive 1 mile? Why not walk, he asks, expecting derisive laughter from the Angelenos?
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/9 "2010-01-18T16:33:26Z")
> [@not\_alice](#):
>
> Don’t forget the “percent of rain of a normal season so far” stats…
‘However, it will not alleviate the drought.’
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### Author:  [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/10 "2010-01-18T16:40:14Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> Do you really drive 1 mile? Why not walk, he asks, expecting derisive laughter from the Angelenos?
I can understand driving a mile to work. Depending on the city there may not be sidewalks or safe walking conditions in that 1 mile distance or there might be a place where you have to cross a highway or something. Here in NY you can walk everywhere but that isn’t the case all over the country.
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### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/11 "2010-01-18T17:11:13Z")
Reading this I heard a voice in my head screaming dramatically “They’re out of Brie cheese!!1!”
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### Author:  [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/12 "2010-01-18T17:17:50Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> Do you really drive 1 mile? Why not walk, he asks, expecting derisive laughter from the Angelenos?
I’ve done it a couple of times. The downside is that I sweat easily, and I found out quickly that I really don’t like getting to my desk to start the day after having sweated. Seems silly, but I’d just rather drive and get my exercise other ways.
And I will be very grateful this week that I now have a car in addition to the motorcycle. I have found that I strongly dislike negotiating rush hour traffic in downtown LA on the bike, and even moreso in the rain (having almost dropped the bike twice in one day under such circumstances).
ETA: **blondebear** , I don’t listen to KFI, sorry! My thoughts always run to the KROQ clip of someone calling in and shouting, “OH MY GOD IT’S **RAAAAAAAAINING!** ”
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### Author:  [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/13 "2010-01-18T17:49:44Z")
> [@Asimovian](#):
>
> Same newscast will also include several gratuitous shots of cars driving through large puddles at big intersections.
To be fair, much of LA does not have adequate street drainage. Those intersections can fill up very quickly and pose a serious hazard to anyone driving (don’t even try to walk across those streets, you’ll end up washed to the sea).
On a happy note, after years of leaking, my new roof was installed just 2 weeks ago!
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/14 "2010-01-18T18:04:08Z")
That same rain is heading directly to Las Vegas - and weather forecasters are saying that if it really does come here as predicted, that could be **25-50% of our annual rainfall in one week**!
To let you know how people here react - last week we had a grand total of 5 minutes of fairly heavy rain. I was teaching a class in college and the minute the rain started hitting the roof, as if possessed, my students all stood up and walked to the windows to look out at the rain.
I told that to friends in Illinois and NYC and they laughed and laughed - the idea of getting excited and stopping everything to look at rain?!
But hey, it’s a big deal here.
Plus, these are the same students who, when it “drops” below 60 degrees, start wearing parkas, shawls, gloves and warm boots. You would think they lived in the Tundra.
And yes, I predict “breaking news” stories:
1. Flash flood warnings all over the Vegas Valley.
2. A helicopter shooting live footage of some idiot standing on his car roof after driving into a river of water.
3. Accidents all over metropolitan Las Vegas, closing freeways and boulevards, due to drivers not aware that rain equals slick roads and even SUVs can’t stop on a dime when traveling 50 mph.
4. Reminders to turn off your garden sprinklers during rainy days.
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### Author:  [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/15 "2010-01-18T18:43:02Z")
Vegas can be absolutely gorgeous in the rain. I remember one time a few years ago, if you looked at Sunrise Mountain, the little mountain off the the left north of Nellis looked amazing.
But yeah, I hate the rain. It’s raining in Solvang right now and I’m disappointed because I was going to go for a walk today.
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### Author:  [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/16 "2010-01-18T18:51:00Z")
I had to go to the Dr. earlier to get blood drawn, and did not appreciate having to get out of bed on a rainy day, but I would have to miss work otherwise (LA County employees get MLK Day off.) When I came home, I found one of the trees in the backyard being whipped around by the wind, and my sister’s dog charging at it like it was threatening him and he was going to kick its butt. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/17 "2010-01-18T19:34:54Z")
Not only is it pouring, it’s frikking windy. I don’t mind the rain - a coat and hat and I’m good to go, but I hate the wind.
Actually since I have to walk to classes AND food, I kinda do mind the rain.
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### Author:  [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/18 "2010-01-18T19:49:37Z")
And the homeless people who live in the storm drains in Las Vegas are going to have to move out.
In San Diego, they call it “rayne”- it happens so infrequently they forgot how to spell it.
As a joke, I bought my sister a rain gauge-she gets so excited to check it after it “raynes” .
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### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/19 "2010-01-18T20:29:47Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#):
>
> Water is falling from the sky! Ahhhhhh! It’s the end of days!
Worse, it [rained on celebrities](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQjEXAqbdJM) :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-raining-in-los-angeles/525403/20 "2010-01-18T20:45:28Z")
> [@DMark](#):
>
> To let you know how people here react - last week we had a grand total of 5 minutes of fairly heavy rain. I was teaching a class in college and the minute the rain started hitting the roof, as if possessed, my students all stood up and walked to the windows to look out at the rain.
I was born in Phoenix and I relate to that so well.
And after 20 years in Portland…I _still_ love watching rain.
What I really love is sitting outside watching it it. The bummer, though, is that once it gets warm enough to sit on my back patio under cover and watch the rain…it stops raining for three months.
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