Los Angeles Weather Station's relocation impacts climate and weather records

In August 1999, the official downtown Los Angeles weather station moved to the University of Southern California campus, 3.78 miles (almost 6 km) to the southwest of its previous location near the city center at the Department of Water & Power (DWP). This move resulted in a discontinuity in the weather records. A comparative study of daily temperatures and precipitation recorded at USC and DWP from 1999 to 2014 clearly shows that the move resulted in cooler, drier, and less-extreme conditions. Maximum temperatures averaged 2.4oF (1.3oC) higher at DWP, but minimum temperatures were nearly the same. Precipitation at USC for the study period averages about 0.77" (19.6 mm) less than the DWP location. Extreme record temperatures and precipitation are also less frequent at the USC site. Since the original station is still operational, DWP should remain the official LA downtown station, with USC becoming a Cooperative station, like UCLA.