Southland Rainfall Record 2.29 Inches Away

Southern California is only 2.29 inches away from making history with the wettest season on record, but Los Angeles businessman Michael Jackson could not care less.

Jackson, who runs a gift shop near Griffith Park, said he is more interested in making money than breaking records. He said his business depends on people who frequent the park, so he has been hurt by the unusually heavy rainfall this year.

“We need income,” said Jackson, who has had to dip into his savings to keep his doors open. “The record? Who cares? It needs to stop raining so we can work. You can only take so much rain.”

While Angelenos debated this week the prospects of making history, the rain kept coming. After a one-day reprieve from heavy showers, a slight drizzle blanketed the region Thursday.

By Friday, the region’s rainfall total stood at 35.9 inches, just shy of the all-time record of 38.18 inches set in 1883-84. The rain year runs from July 1 to June 30.

National Weather Service forecasters predicted a sunny weekend, with the possible chance of more rain Monday. Still, some experts think that beating the all-time rainfall record is a longshot.

“As you get into April, the odds go down,” said Bill Mork, a climatologist with the California Department of Water Resources. “There’s certainly a chance, but I would say the odds are against it.”

In the department’s 16-day weather model, Mork sees a possibility for rain Monday and the following week on April 6 and 7.

But it probably will be a trickle compared with the heavy showers that have soaked the Southland since January, he said.

Heading into spring, Mork said, there tends to be a steep drop in the amount of rain to hit the region.

For instance, the 30-year average rainfall in March is 3.18 inches, but it plunges to 0.83 inches in April, he said.

Even if we don’t beat the record, the amount of rain this year has been tremendous, Mork said.

“It’s huge to have the second-largest number,” he said.

But some people, such as Steve Gindorf, 43, who showed up for a golf game at Griffith Park earlier this week armed with a big blue and white umbrella, like the idea of being No. 1.

“I think while we’re up there, we might as well beat it,” he said of the all-time record. “We always need rain, and people are always complaining about it. Rain, sun, heat, it doesn’t matter. Bring it on.”

Dave Shimotani, who operates a fruit and vegetable stand at the Farmers Market in Los Angeles, said too much rain not only hurts the agriculture industry but also keeps his customers away.

“I’ve just had enough of the rain,” he said. “Let’s go for the record and go back to our Southern California sunshine.”

The sunshine that managed to peek through the dark, menacing clouds at midweek was a welcome sight for the parents of young children.

At MacArthur Park, Esmeralda Argueta on Wednesday tested the grass for moisture before she sat down with her two children and ate a plum. She was glad to get out of the house because her 4-year-old daughter had gotten bored being indoors.

“You can’t bring the kids to the park when it rains because there’s too much mud,” said Argueta, who also has a 6-month-old son. “It’s better to be cautious and not take the kids out so they won’t get sick.”

The rain also causes her to worry about whether her brothers, who work in the fields and in the construction industry, will be able to make ends meet.

“When it rains, they’re not able to work and make money to put food on the table for their families,” she said. “I don’t want us to break the record because the rain does too much damage.”