<p>Up here in NorCal, we've pretty much been brainwashed to believe that weather in Southern California is sunny all year long...but now I'm beginning to realize that that's probably not the case. This is for anybody who is a student at USC, or has lived in SoCal: how many days in the school year is it rainy/stormy? How many days is it just chilly and cloudy? And then lastly, how many of the following:
* Coats (like fleece/North Face)
* Jackets
* Sweatshirts
should we bring? And do the nights and mornings tend to be a lot colder than the day?</p>
<p>I live in the west side of Orange County, about 40 minutes south of Los Angeles. In this unusually wet winter/spring season I would guess we had about 30-35 days of rain? I really don't remember. It rained today after a weird week of on and off cloudiness/warmth. The difference between the high and low temperatures is never more than 25-30°. It did get pretty cold this past winter. I think in January one of the lowest temperatures one night was 36°. Haha, I know a lot of places are much colder, but to us it was freezing. I think high temperatures in the cold season rarely go below mid-50s.</p>
<p>I think you'll be wearing sweatshirts for most colder days in the year. When the rain starts to come around, probably you'll be wearing coats or jackets for a week and then sweatshirts again for a few days and then back to coats or jackets for another week of rain. I'm not sure how many of each you should bring. Definitely have at least one of each. You could probably layer anyways if it gets that cold. But you're probably used to it in NorCal. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Yeah, it's a good idea to have a fair number of jackets and cardigans...things you can layer with...even though it is usually pretty nice, it gets chilly at night and you can still wear those things on the cold days too.</p>
<p>Most people just have a few USC sweatshirts for cold days. No one really wears coats.</p>
<p>I'm from NorCal, too, originally, and I'd say the main difference here is that there are no bone-chilling cold periods. I'm from Stockton, near Sacramento, so it isn't a colder part of NorCal, but there were some mornings and nights in winter where I felt like I would freeze through. You don't get that here. There are colder days, but nothing too bad. Most of all you will get really spoiled by this, and when you go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, wearing flip flops and a sweatshirt, you will be shocked with how much colder things seem than they used to when you lived there. :) </p>
<p>Last year at USC it didn't seem to rain that much, but then this year there were a bunch of freak storms. Sweatshirts are a must. Basically that is the normal cold-weather gear here, although jackets work too for rainy days. Nothing heavy duty is needed.</p>
<p>I'm from Oregon, Portland Area, However an avid CA visitor. I'm bringing all that I have. From shorts to ski jacket. BTW I do ski, and would like to make the attempt to do so.</p>
<p>Boozenuts makes a good point...its not that far to ski/snowboard areas (3 hours at the fastest, 5 hours to good ones) and so if you like doing those things, you will definately have some time after football season is over...of course, you could always just bring those things up after christmas break.</p>
<p>Yeah, thats what Im probally goin to do. Cause I will ues them at home. But, what kind of starage facilities are there for things like that??</p>
<p>There aren't really any storage areas other than the closets and drawers...many dorms have the area under the bed if you lift the bed up a little...that is what i would do.</p>
<p>Ok thanx, What about bikes??</p>
<p>There are bike racks everywhere...Bring a U lock with you...cable locks get cut.</p>
<p>At Night. So I leave my bike outside over night</p>
<p>Yep. There are racks at every building....unless you live in an apartment, in which case you can put it on your balcony.</p>
<p>USC apartments all have racks, though, too, don't they? Mine, Troy East, has a lot.</p>
<p>They do...my roommate just liked to leave her's on the balcony because she never used it...</p>
<p>Of course, that resulted in her bike being put into a tree after one especially raucous party....so maybe the whole balcony thing isn't the greast idea, either! ;-0</p>
<p>lol, trojangirlie, that's awesome. Yeah, my roommate kept hers on our balcony for awhile, and then it turned out she was a crack or coke addict and moved out. Ah, memories. :)</p>
<p>So don't bring my good bike then... and how can I keep track of it if it gets stolen??</p>
<p>You can notify DPS (our campus police) and file a report, but there is a good chance you will never see it again. Usually it is neighborhood kids who take the bikes, so it's not like a student steals it and then rides it around campus where DPS can see it. </p>
<p>Basically if you back the bike in backwards into the racks and use the U-lock thingy, you should generally be fine.</p>
<p>Back in and take the front wheel off. how would the U locks work then</p>
<p>I never brought a bike to campus, so I don't know how it all works, but I just remember everyone telling us to bike the bikes in backward.</p>
<p>if you are afraid of the front tire thing, you can use two u-locks. </p>
<p>And if your bike gets stolen, well, that's too bad, chances are you won't see it again. I have a theory that neighborhood kids steal the comon beachcruiser style bikes then sell them back to the bike shops around campus, who in turn sell them back to students. But this is really just hearsay, i have no proof of this. Just lock it up, you should be ok.</p>