With the first six months of 2014 behind us, federal weather experts crunched the numbers and concluded that it was the hottest first half of any year ever recorded in California.

Not only that but the two-season average rainfall for downtown Los Angeles was the driest ever, said Stuart Seto, weather specialist at the National Weather Service. A rainfall season goes from July 1 to June 30.

The National Climatic Data Center says that our January through June in California was the “warmest to date” and that …
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 … the average temperature in the Golden State, north to south, highs and lows, during that time was 58 degrees.

The center says we saw our 11th warmest June on record. But for downtown L.A. it was the only month that didn't beat the normal historic temperature, Seto told us. “June was the only one where we were actually below normal for daytime highs,” he said.

See also:  Why Is it Always Hottest in Woodland Hills?

Seto gave us the month-to-month rundown for DTLA high temperatures so far this year:

-January saw a 74.4 average high; normal is 68.2
-February saw a 70.5 average high; normal is 68.6.
-March averaged 72.5; normal is 70.2.
-April did 74.6; normal is 72.7.
-May saw an average high of … 80! Normal is 74.5.
-June gloom did it's job, with an average high of 76.7; average is 78.1.

Credit: NCDC

Credit: NCDC

That strong, rain-bearing El Nino heralded by some no longer looks to be en route this winter, either, Seto said, referring us to the latest “El Nino Watch” data.

“We're no longer looking for a strong one,” he said, “we're looking for a weak-to-moderate one.”

That still could mean “above normal” rainfall, he said.

In any case, don't put away your sunscreen just yet. Sizzling heat is expected to return to Southern California starting Thursday.

See also: Truth Time: L.A. Weather's Not All It's Cracked Up to Be

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