'Gee why ___?' newbie question: Why no So. California canes?

[anjou]

Do they apportion different potential disasters to different parts of the country, as policy... or is there an actual physical reason why Southern California doesn't get hurricanes.

Or let me back up and ask, what are the odds?

(Cold, dark, uninviting ocean water here have anything to do with it?)

[Matthew5]

I heard in 1939 or something around that a tropical storm hit La from the Pacific. But the ones that normally make it up there come from the south through the Baja.

Reasons why they don't happen is because the water is normally way to cold. With stable air mass that chokes the system off.

[dennis1x1]

things move from east to west in the tropics.......the main reason.

[FritzPaul]

The water temp has to be 80 or better to sustain a storm, and water temps. off SoCal is much lower.

[Matthew5]

A temperature above 76 degrees should be enough to keep a tropical cyclone together.

[FritzPaul]

From what the NHC says 80 is the magic number.

[weatherlover427]

Water temps off our coast are in the low to mid 70s right now ... may be a degree or two too cool to support Howard as he moves north during the next few days but we'll see. The NWS has some POPs in our fcst for Monday and Tuesday as the leftovers of this storm are projected to head our way.

[Matthew5]

It has to be around there but the real number is 78.6 degrees.

[anjou]

Good to know since there's a category 4 I believe (Howard) 'barreling' toward L.A. down in the direction of Baja.

Have read up a bit since my original post, saw something about a Hurricane Linda in '97 perhaps spurred on by el Nino.
http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/9709/14/linda/

... and FEMA has this long list dating back to the beginning of last century:
http://www.fema.gov/nwz97/eln_scal.shtm

But given two potential biggies in three weeks in Florida after roughly 40 years of relative calm, give or take, I'll keep an eye on the Pacific just for the sake of what if. (At least until I see an actual water temp stat and convince myself it'll never happen.)

[weatherlover427]

See if that helps any.

[FritzPaul]

From the SST sat. SoCal temp is about 20 C which equates to 68 F.

[anjou]

Thanks... I have a new appreciation for the dark navy blue ocean out here now. But I'm still not going in, wetsuit or otherwise.

[ncbird]

Hoot!!! I learned something new today also. A big warm cudly thanks to all you smart folks out there.

NCBird

[charleston_hugo_veteran]

:eek: Do they apportion different potential disasters to different parts of the country, as policy... or is there an actual physical reason why Southern California doesn't get hurricanes.

Or let me back up and ask, what are the odds?

(Cold, dark, uninviting ocean water here have anything to do with it?)

Ya'll have earthquakes to deal with!

[HurricaneBill]

:eek: Do they apportion different potential disasters to different parts of the country, as policy... or is there an actual physical reason why Southern California doesn't get hurricanes.

Or let me back up and ask, what are the odds?

(Cold, dark, uninviting ocean water here have anything to do with it?)

Ya'll have earthquakes to deal with!

Look who's talking!

Anyway, if a hurricane made it to California, it'd probably be a fast moving hurricane that moves up between Baja California and Mexico and arrives in California as a weak Category 1.