Despite Rain, Dry Winter is Forecast

Don't let the recent rainstorms fool you. This winter will be drier than usual, according to weather forecasters.

Blame La Nina, which is brought on by colder water temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean, near the equator. That, in turn, shifts jet stream wind patterns and reduces precipitation in the Southwestern U.S.

Normally, Southern California sees about 8 inches of rainfall during the winter months. This year, forecasters expect just 5 to 6 inches, said Jack Boston a meteorologist at Accuweather.

That's a dramatic dropoff from 2010, when a year's worth of rain fell just in December. Seal Beach was hammered particularly hard, with flooding downtown and 4 inches of water in the lobby of the Pacific Inn.

Not surprisingly, many local businesses welcome La Nina.

For restaurants and certain retailers, rain is usually bad news, said Seth Eaker of Black Marble Consulting in Seal Beach. When storms blow in, business falls at eateries with outdoor seating, bicycle shops and places like Beach Fitness, which conducts outdoor boot camps.

Mom-and-pop stores seem more affected by rain than big-box retailers, Eaker said. “People are going to go to Target on Saturday if it’s raining or not. But people aren’t going to go browse in Old Town Seal Beach."

Still, not all inclement weather is bad for business. During last year's tsunami warnings after Japan's big earthquake, Seal Beach businesses were hopping. Curiosity drew big crowds of spectators to the beach, Eaker said.