“Welcome to Florida,” the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles joked, warning Californians ahead of severe weather — probably one of the first times anyone has made a side-by-side comparison of the weather in the Golden State to that in the Sunshine State.
No, there’s not a hurricane barreling their way — and that’s actually one thing California has in common with Florida right now, even shortly after the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Instead, a moisture from Tropical Storm Mario is moving in, bringing heavy rainfall that could flood streets and make umbrellas feel useless. Similarly, Florida is keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Gabrielle in the Atlantic — likely to become a hurricane by early next week — and bracing for a few other tropical waves popping up.
But the biggest reason the Los Angeles office sent the warning? The atmospheric conditions are so similar that it might feel more like a quick road trip to Palm Beach than to Palm Springs.
“Welcome to Florida: the moisture in the air from the morning weather balloon reading at San Diego is virtually the same as the reading at Key West,” the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles wrote. “It will be muggy out there. Off and on again showers to continue as well, with isolated thunderstorms.”
How does weather Los Angeles compare with Palm Beach?
Weather conditions on Thursday, Sept. 18, look eerily similar — remnants of Mario drenching Southern California while South Florida goes about its usual business.
Los Angeles weather
West Palm Beach weather
Does California have hurricanes?
California doesn’t normally get hurricanes. The Pacific Ocean off the California coast is usually too cold for hurricanes to form or survive, and prevailing winds tend to push storms away from the state, according to hurricanescience.org
Occasionally, remnants of tropical storms or hurricanes that formed farther south (like off Mexico) can bring heavy rain, wind or flooding to Southern California, as expected today.
In addition to the threat of heavy rain — possibly leading to flooded roads, mudslides and debris flow — the National Weather Service warns that dry lightning associated with scattered storms could spark new fires in areas already vulnerable.
But an actual full-strength hurricane hitting California is extremely rare.
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Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the United States as the Weather Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at baddison@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida weather today in California. How hurricane seasons compare