Rain, Rain, Come and Stay

Clouds loomed over Old Town on Thursday, January 16th as residents said goodbye to the sun. “It’s about time,” one resident said. “We could sure use the rain!”

According to the San Diego County Water Authority, the average annual rainfall for the San Diego region is 9.9 inches, with more than 80% occurring between December and March. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration point out that as we enter the second half of California’s rainy season, we have had a mere 6.07 inches of rain, a large leap from last year’s 2.96 inches, but still behind schedule. Extremely dry conditions over the last two years have greatly impacted the region’s water supplies and the San Diego County Water Authority continues to advise water conservation.

In Old Town, most welcomed the rain and were armed with umbrellas. Those few ill-prepared hid under newspapers and pulled jackets over their heads. The recent sunny days were a pleasant surprise for tourism in Old Town. “Business has been good,” says one small business owner, “but who knows now with all this bad weather?”

Have we truly entered the rainy season, or will California resort back to its typical sunshine? For tourism in Old Town, the rain may cast a dark cloud on business, but for the San Diego region’s recent dry conditions, let’s hope the sun takes a back seat for at least a few days.