By Mary O’KEEFE

March has ushered in a lot dark clouds, figuratively and literally. As people stand under their umbrellas in long lines to enter grocery stores, the focus has not been so much on the reason why there is a need for an umbrella but more about the need to stand in line. But March weather has brought out umbrellas for many days and that is a good thing for the area, which is still experiencing below average rainfall in downtown Los Angeles.

“It’s a lot better than in the beginning of March,” said Joe Sirard, meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] in Oxnard.

The month of March, as of Tuesday, has brought 4.35 inches of rain locally. The normal for this month is 2.05 inches. Prior to these recent rains the season’s numbers did not look promising but March rain has brought those numbers up.

The season is from October to September and the average rainfall is 14.93 inches. As of Tuesday, recorded rainfall in downtown Los Angeles was 11.67 inches, still about three inches less than normal but much better than what the area was facing in January and February.

“There will be showers through [today],” Sirard said. “But dry from Friday to next Wednesday.”

There is a slight chance of rain on Sunday but not much in terms of measurement, he added.

In the next seven to 10 days the area will dry up and get warmer.

“A week from [Wednesday] is April 1, the very tail end of the rainy season,” he said.

After this coming rainstorm there looks to be a drying pattern for the near future. On Sunday the temperatures should be near normal, which is about 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Later next week the temperatures are expected to climb dramatically above normal to a possibility of low 80s by Tuesday.

  Charly Shelton, Mary Okeefe