Driest March, April Reported Since 1934
Ventura County has registered its driest March and April since 1934, according to the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The county saw virtually no rain in those months this year, with only trace amounts recorded, meteorologist Bruce Rockwell said. But even 1934 doesn’t compare with this year, since virtually no precipitation fell in usually sodden February either.
“I couldn’t find three super dry months like this,†Rockwell said after spending Wednesday afternoon checking decades-old weather records at the request of The Times. “It’s not unusual to have one month completely dry, but it is unusual to have three dry months.â€
Ventura County went into February with rainfall 150% of normal. However, rainfall is now below seasonal norms, Rockwell said.
Ventura usually receives 3.51 inches of rain during March and April, and Thousand Oaks receives an average of 3.94 inches.
Similar arid readings have been recorded throughout Southern California.
For instance, no rain fell on the Los Angeles Civic Center in the last two months, the first time that has ever occurred.
A high-pressure ridge that has pushed storms into the Pacific Northwest is to blame for the dry weather.
However, the dry spell, combined with vegetation growth caused by an extremely wet November, December and January, and the recent gusty winds, have Rockwell hoping for a cloudy summer with a thick marine layer to keep moisture in.
“We have the potential to have a very fire-prone year,†he said. “We’re starting out like it’s almost the middle of summer.â€
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