Weather/Meteorology

[phatgirl]

Anyone know where I can find out about weird weather patterns/occurences? For example, did it ever snow on a day in July in Los Angeles?

Thanks.

[Fortean]

There was a three-minute shower of flesh, that covered two acres of Mr. J. Hudson's farm, in Los Nietos, in August of 1869.

"That the meat fell, we can not doubt. Even the parsons of the neighborhood are willing to vouch for that. Where it came from, we can not even conjecture."

You'll find it told in the Los Angeles News of August 3, 1869, as well as the Los Angeles Star, and the San Francisco Evening Bulletin of August 9, 1869.

And, for those who would offer an explanation that a tornado dismembered some poor critter: "The day was perfectly clear, and the sun was shining, and there was no perceptible breeze."

[phatgirl]

Fortean, thanks but that's gross! It might work for a horror/thriller but mine's a rom-com. I'm looking more for "soft, billowy flakes..."

[pantalone]

Could it maybe move from LA to Hawaii? There's island snow in July. Big white billowy flakes.

[Fortean]

"Since statehood, measurable snowfall has occurred at downtown Los Angeles only three times: On January 12, 1882; on January 15, 1932; and on January 9, 1949. The 1932 snowfall was the heaviest of these at two inches. In the 1949 event, only 0.3 inches of snow was recorded downtown, but three inches was common at higher elevations within the city. The 1949 snowfall was, of course, heavily reported by the media, with photos of Glendale College students hurling snowballs at each other." ~ The Climate of Los Angeles, California (http://www.nwsla.noaa.gov/climate/climate_intro.html), p. 36.

[phatgirl]

Thanks for the responses. I found what I was looking for.

[johnwrites]

Phatgirl:

From what I understand it can snow anywhere, anytime... so long as we make it believable. Set up the circumstances, an unusual weather pattern for example, and as long as it sounds plausible, you can make it happen.

Case in point, in CASABLANCA, we all buy that there were these wonderful "Letters of Transit", yet, according to Bob McKey, no such thing ever existed.

Better living through writing, John