8 ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁well - above ▁average ▁precip itation ▁across ▁Southern ▁California . ▁While ▁some ▁measurements ▁suggest ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6 ▁El ▁Ni ño ▁was ▁the ▁strong est ▁on ▁record ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁Southern ▁California ▁received ▁below ▁average ▁precip itation ▁contrary ▁to ▁what ▁the ▁Cl imate ▁Pred iction ▁Center ▁predicted ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁winter ▁months . ▁While ▁scient ists ▁have ▁long ▁agreed ▁the ▁intensity ▁and ▁timing ▁of ▁the ▁winter ▁precip itation ▁pattern ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁is ▁more ▁complex ▁than ▁just ▁analyz ing ▁the ▁warm / co ol ▁phase ▁of ▁E NS O , ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁received ▁below ▁average ▁precip itation ▁during ▁the ▁strong ▁El ▁Ni ño ▁event ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 5 – 2 0 1 6 ▁will ▁be ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁numerous ▁research ▁studies ▁among ▁climate ▁scient ists . ▁ ▁S urr ounding ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁ ▁Coast al ▁Bas in ▁The ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Bas in , ▁composed ▁of ▁the ▁coast al ▁plain ▁surrounded ▁by ▁mountains , ▁is ▁generally ▁the ▁cool est ▁in ▁summer ▁and ▁m ild est ▁in ▁winter . ▁Over all , ▁it ▁receives ▁less ▁ra inf all ▁than ▁the ▁surrounding ▁valle ys ▁and ▁mountains . ▁ ▁L AX ▁L AX ▁air port ▁and ▁its ▁surr ound ings ▁( West chester ▁and ▁El ▁Seg undo , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Santa ▁Mon ica , ▁Ven ice , ▁and ▁the ▁immediately ▁surrounding ▁neighborhood s ) ▁are ▁generally ▁the ▁cool est ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁region