LA on Sunday and next week?

February 23, 2023 8:07 PM

I’m flying into LA for work on Sunday and staying for the week, driving around downtown. I don’t understand the weather going on in LA right now. Should I still go? What should I do to prepare for the trip?

Will downtown LA be shutdown on Sun or next week? It seems crazy with the weather now. If I don’t cancel the work trip, is there anything I should do to prepare? I’m totally used to rain and snow. I was hoping to wear skirts and sit by the hotel pool, but I guess not!

posted by inevitability to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

I can't speak to flight delays, but the storm is currently forecast to pass by Sunday, though it will still be cold (by our standards, lol). There might be rain Monday through Wednesday, but nothing as bad as we're forecast to get tomorrow and Saturday. There'll be snow in the mountains, which won't impact you if you're staying downtown.

Pool time is gonna be a no go, sorry. It's been pretty damned cold here by southern California standards, and I would also avoid the beaches. I wouldn't cancel the trip if I were you, though I would brace myself for some travel delays on Sunday, and be sure to bring wet weather gear and whatever clothes are most comfy for you in 50 degree temps. The weather will be mildly miserable early in the week, but not, like, dangerous or anything.

Sorry to say, February is just not the best month for SoCal weather-wise, even when we aren't getting hit by a big storm: if it's not wet, it's cold and/or dreary, though still better than being below freezing, I guess.
posted by yasaman at 8:18 PM on February 23, 2023

I think you'll be fine in terms of the rain given that you are used to it. It's a work trip, I think it would be bonkers to cancel unless your job is photographing a bikini shoot or something that requires sunshine. Driving will probably be annoying but doable. Give yourself plenty of extra time to get everywhere. If you're meant to go into the mountains, or over the Grapevine, that's a whole other story but just DTLA should be fine.

Pool time is absolutely not going to happen, though. (I know people like to think LA doesn't have seasons but we actually do and it IS still winter here! October/November, you've got a shot at pool time -- February, not so much.) Sorry about that part!!
posted by Countess Sandwich at 8:30 PM on February 23, 2023

It sounds pretty unlikely that it will snow, but Angelenos drive terribly in the rain and a lot of people use it as an excuse to not go anywhere while it's happening. So if you're planning on meeting up with people for work and you do a job that can feasibly be done from home, you might find attendance is sparser than you expected. I remember just working from home on rainy days while I lived in LA as a matter of course because traffic was so rotten. If there are people you are going specifically to see in person, might want to check in with them and make sure they're planning to commute even if the weather is rubbish.
posted by potrzebie at 8:49 PM on February 23, 2023

Mostly as above, DTLA will probably be fine if rainy and cold. At least it isn't the first rains of the season where the roads are all slick and dangerous from a rain-free summer of dirt and oil and such that turns very slick those first few rains.
posted by zengargoyle at 10:15 PM on February 23, 2023

Thanks all! Ok I hearya. I’ll keep the trip and back an umbrella. I’m hoping work skirts will still be doable. Will keep the bathing suit home.
posted by inevitability at 2:00 PM on February 24, 2023