Up to seven inches of rain are expected to fall in some areas of Southern California on Friday, Feb. 17, with wind and flood advisories all over the area. Yet another storm system is moving into the region, topping off what's been the wettest winter in recent memory across the (previously) drought-stricken area.
I'm little surprised that none of the local parks have gone ahead and closed tomorrow for inclement weather. (The rain hasn't started falling yet, as of this writing. But the forecast is dire.) I expect the announcements of closures, or at least early closes, to start coming in the morning, as the rain keeps people home.
If you hear of a closure, post it here. Or, if you're actually crazy enough to head out to an open park in SoCal tomorrow, tweet us some photos @ThemePark and I'll RT and embed 'em here, too. It should be a wild day.
Good luck, fellow Californians. Stay dry!
Tweet
Knotts announced it was closed due to weather.
Updates:
#KnottsBerryFarm will be closed today (Friday, February 17) due to inclement weather. pic.twitter.com/DO1ZuHnqfE
— Knott's Berry Farm (@knotts) February 17, 2017
According to my colleagues at the OC Register, this is the fifth time in 2017 that Knott's has closed for rain: Jan. 12, 20, 22, Feb. 6 and today.
Also...
@ThemePark Currently braving this weather at Universal Studios Hollywood today. pic.twitter.com/YICE6j1Ivn
— USH Today (@USHToday) February 17, 2017
And my response...
Anyone heard about Rain Gear? Amazing no one now takes Showers anymore?
Trying not to get into a political argument here, but is this the first time rain has shut down parks in Southern California?
Over the past year, Disney World has shut down a few times or cancelled events due to bad weather (including hurricane).
Is this the new normal?
Anthony, you alt-right libertard, you trying to start a political war again ? No? Never mind. Cedar Point only closes for broken water mains...and power failures...and winter.
From the perspective of someone who lives in Southern California this isn't your average weather. For instance, in my neighborhood, several 30 foot tall trees have fallen down due to the intense winds and have been blocking off streets.
The rain itself is crazy too. I know in LA a giant pothole formed which ate 2 cars and I just saw footage from my friends soccer game where there were a bunch of miniature lakes in the middle of the field (luckily they called it off).
So yeah, as a theme park enthusiast I'm usually against closing down parks due to rain, but these seem to be unique circumstances.
Like Juan says, this weather is very abnormal for Southern California. In a typical year, we usually get 10-14 inches of rain, with about 2 inches from a big storm. Not counting the most recent storm, we are already at 14.8 inches for the current season, nearly half of which came from a big storm in mid/late January. While that may seem like a joke in parts of the world, it has been decades since we've had a winter as wet as this one. The local mountains are still covered in snow, and there are ski areas around here that are opening for the fist time in 5 years. It's that kind of year.
As for theme park closures, it is actually not uncommon for Knott's (and sometimes SFMM) to close a couple days per year due to weather. On a typical off-season weekday, the park only sees around 1,000 visitors, so if the rain cuts that to a third or so it just isn't profitable to remain open. Add in the fact that almost all of the park's attractions (excluding the few indoor rides) generally do not operate in the rain and it makes even less sense for them to stay open. Disneyland and USH usually won't close for rain unless it is heavy enough to cause flooding, but about 2/3 of the outdoor attractions will not operate if it is wet.
By the way, it was 65 degrees in Chicago today.
I just think this is an interesting perspective for climate change.
That is why I asked. I never remember Disney World closing for inclement weather in the past. I was there for the hurricane in October.
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OK, so far the rainpocalpyse has been a bust. Almost noon, and still waiting.