Experiencing "The Summer We Never Had"

(Flickr pic by Irene Tong.)

My business lunch conversation today ranged from industry topics to, well, more industry topics. But the first order of business: Discussing just how gosh durn hot it is out there. Is it really late October?

Now, according to the Los Angeles Times -- well, at least the 3 people who still work there -- we're experiencing the second hottest October since 1877. We've now experienced eight days over 90 degrees this month -- more than any other year except 1965:

"It's the summer we never had," said William Patzert, a climatologist for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge.

The average daytime temperature in downtown Los Angeles this month has been 84.3 degrees, he said. September's average high temperature was 83.2 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

"In September we only had two days over 90," Patzert said.

The warmest October in Los Angeles' recorded history -- an average of 84.5 degrees -- was 1965, when Southern California was blasted by hot, dry Santa Ana winds. On Oct. 23 of that year, Los Angeles had a temperature of 100 degrees. In San Diego, firefighters were busy battling three blazes amid the October heat wave.

Of course, we've seen two major bouts of fire this month. Not helping matters: We've seen eight months now of essentially no rain. That, combined with the intense heat, means conditions are ripe for more fires.