​Does It Ever Snow in Los Angeles, California?

As anyone who has ever been there knows the city of Los Angeles has one of the nicest weather climates anyone could ever wish for in a city. LA has an average daily temperature of 63 degrees, the city averages just 12 inches of precipitation a year, averages only 3 days a year when the temperature rises over 90 degrees and does not even average one day a year when the temperature dips below the freezing mark. But on very rare occasions it does snow in Los Angeles, California.

                                                 (Photo by Nserrano)

Located in the LA basin, the city of Los Angeles has low elevations that even drop to sea level at the coast. The surrounding San Gabriel Mountains and higher elevation areas around the city of LA, though, do get annual snowfall (see photo above) but snow in the city of Los Angeles itself is a very rare occurrence.

This author does remember as a kid watching the "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" once when Johnny Carson joked about how cold it was in LA and showed photos of a very light dusting of snow that had fallen near his home that morning. Here is a listing of documented cases where snow did fall in Los Angeles.

Does It Ever Snow in Los Angeles, California?

1. January 10-13, 1949 - up to a foot of snow fell in the LA area causing closing of Pacific Coast Highway and many canyon roads but only 1/3 of an inch was recorded at the LA Civic Center

2. January 22, 1921 - freak snowstorm left up to 1/3 inch of snow along La Brea Ave and other parts of LA

3. January 22, 1962 - trace amounts of snow measuring less than 1/2 inch were recorded at Civic Center, LA Airport and in Long Beach

4. April 1950 - up to .20" of snow fell over the whole month in LA

5. January 1954 - up to .3" of snow fell in city over the whole month

In addition to the times mentioned above, trace amounts of snow fell in LA in the following months and years. December of 1935, December of 1947, February and March of 1951, December, January and February of 1952, February of 1954 and January of 1957. 

The last time it snowed in Los Angeles? On December 31, 2014, it certainly snowed in the LA area but how much if any snow actually fell in the city itself is uncertain.

For more see:

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