Los Angeles has seen unusually high rainfall in the current rainy season, with downtown L.A. already above or near a full “normal” year’s worth of rain by mid‑season in recent years, and January alone typically bringing several inches of additional rain.

Quick Scoop: How Much Rain Did LA Get?

  • Downtown Los Angeles’ current 2025–26 rain season (measured from July) has logged well over 10 inches of rain and is tracking among the wetter seasons of the last two decades.
  • In a typical January, Los Angeles averages around 70–80 mm (about 2.8–3.1 inches) of rain , spread over about 5–7 rainy days , though day‑by‑day storms can push totals higher in big events.
  • Recent strong storm cycles have produced multiple inches in just a few days , enough to push seasonal totals close to or beyond the usual full‑year norm of roughly 14 inches downtown.

What “A Lot of Rain” Means in LA

Los Angeles is normally a dry‑summer, wet‑winter city, so a few inches in a short burst feels huge because the infrastructure and hillsides are tuned to long dry spells. When a single storm or weekend drops 2–4 inches across the basin and foothills, that can rival what some inland areas expect over several typical winter weeks.

In forum and local chatter, people often describe these big events as “record‑breaking” or “40‑year storms,” especially when daily or short‑term records at the downtown gauge or nearby stations are challenged. Even if the season is not the absolute wettest on record, the clustering of heavy days makes it feel extreme on the ground.

Recent Rain in Context

  • Historical “normal” downtown L.A. rainfall for an entire July‑to‑June season is about 14.25 inches , so crossing that mark early in the year is a big psychological and hydrological milestone.
  • In the 2025–26 season, cumulative totals reported by local almanac data show downtown already into the low‑ to mid‑teens (inches) by late winter, ranking it among the wettest seasons of the last 20 years up to that date.
  • January climatology from several forecast and climate guides shows around 3 inches of rain is typical, but strong El Niño‑like patterns or atmospheric river events can roughly double that for the month in standout years.

Mini FAQ

So, did LA get “a lot” of rain this time?

  • Compared to its usual winter, yes : this season has been on the wet side , with January alone bringing several inches and the season total already matching or exceeding an average full year downtown.

Is this truly record‑shattering?

  • It is among the wetter seasons in roughly two decades to date , but not necessarily the all‑time wettest on record for Los Angeles; the city has seen even bigger El Niño winters historically.

Why does it feel so extreme?

  • Long dry stretches followed by intense storm clusters mean flooding, mudslides, and traffic chaos ramp up quickly, so even climatologically “moderate” totals can feel dramatic in day‑to‑day life.

TL;DR: LA has picked up well over 10 inches this rain season, with roughly 3 inches being typical just for January , and this year’s totals so far put it in the wetter‑than‑normal, headline‑making category for recent decades.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.