Woodland Hills is within the city limits of Los Angeles and the weather station at Pierce College is approximately 25 miles from downtown. But the climate changes perceptibly in that short distance. Summers are much warmer in Woodland Hills than they are in downtown L.A. The highest temperature recorded within the city limits was measured at this station: 119⁰ F in July of 2006.
A combination of factors make this the one of hotspots of the Transverse Ranges and South Coast. Though it is only a dozen or so miles from the Pacific, Woodland Hills and the majority of the San Fernando Valley are cut off from the cooling breezes of the ocean by the Santa Monica Mountains. The relative bowl-shape of the valley also helps to trap hot air and smog when winds are light. And since the valley is an suburban arm of Los Angeles, the asphalt and concrete structures help create a “urban heat island” effect.
Some of the same factors that keep Woodland Hills hot in summer also make it noticeably colder than much of the rest of the city in winter. The same mountains that shield the San Fernando Valley from the ocean also keep the mild ocean breezes at bay in the colder months. The depression of the valley will also capture dry air allowing for radiational cooling on calm nights. Additionally, when winds are light, cold air will drain from higher elevations and pool in lower ones. Downtown L.A. rarely sees nights below freezing but frosts are far more common in Woodland Hills and the surround areas. .
- Köppen Classification: (CSa) Mediterranean/hot summer.
- Current Conditions available via the National Weather Service.
- Climate data from The Western Regional Climate Center and the National Climatic Data Center.
Rob O’Keefe
