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SoCal's rainy season off to dismal start
The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a low probability of rain in Southern California over the next two weeks.
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National Weather Service
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Topline:
Counties across Southern California are off to a near record dry start this rainy season, with Los Angeles only having received about 5% of the rain it normally would. It's been 276 days since downtown L.A. experienced significant rainfall.
Why it matters: Dry conditions and the peak of Santa Ana wind season mean that large, unstoppable fires are still possible. Dry winters can have detrimental affects on native vegetation, which rely on just a few months of rain to sustain themselves through an eight-month dry period. The latest report from the Drought Monitor shows that abnormally dry conditions (which precede drought conditions) are growing across the central and southern parts of the state.
The weather ahead: The NWS is saying there's a 50% to 60% chance that there'll be below normal precipitation over the next 8-14 days. Any strong wind event will likely bring fire weather conditions.
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The good news: The snowpack across the Sierra Nevada is at 115% of normal, which is a good sign for water availability later in the year.
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