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Sunny Chilly! California Catches
a Cold
Southern California's most famous attribute is its consistent and
unchanging sun, providing pleasant warmth that is complemented by
ocean breezes and occasional fog. However, as we have all noticed by
now, the weather has proved to us that "California" and "seasons"
are not mutually exclusive. On January 15, 2007, Malibu actually
experienced snowfall. West Los Angeles residents found themselves
pummeled by a hailstorm. From Lancaster to Santa Clarita, ice,
sleet, and snow have plagued inhabitants. Los Angeles International
Airport (L.A.X.) matched the record set in 1932 of 39 degrees.
Lancaster, in the desert north of Los Angeles, hit 16 degrees.
Meanwhile, El Segundo residents have turned up their heaters to keep
warm in temperatures in the low forties.
While other parts of the country may
be quite accustomed to such drastically low temperatures, California
is certainly not prepared to face this drop in warmth. Aside from
being unaccustomed to chilly weather, the agriculture of the state
is based on the moderate temperatures. Some states laughed at
California for the panic over the weather change, but these same
states are dependent upon the crops that California provides.
California's economy has already been
severely affected by the damage to citrus and other crops. Because
of its high agricultural production, California suffers greatly when
any threat arises that could harm the crops. Citrus plants have
suffered the worst, and almost three-quarters of the state's oranges
have been destroyed. Avocado prices are climbing rapidly, and even
fresh-cut flowers are becoming more expensive.
"I really miss the typical Southern
California beach weather," Junior Aubrianne Rose says. Let's just
hope that our famous sunny weather will come back to us soon so that
our heaters can take a break and our windshields can be ice-free.
The abnormal weather patterns, even
though colder than usual, are consistent with theories of global
warming. It is even more apparent that the protection of our
environment is vital to not only the habitats of animals depending
on the world’s ice, but also our warm weather.
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