In less than a week, Southern California’s weather has gone from unseasonably dry and warm – to wet and now bitterly cold. The National Weather Service says

The mountains and foothills of Los Angeles County are in “extreme drought” conditions, about 36% of the county, explained Pugh. That’s one category shy of hitting the highest level, “exceptional drought,” and three higher than the lowest, “abnormally dry.” The rest of the county is in severe drought.

How dry is it in Southern California? See the drought levels and recent rainfall totals for several counties in the region.

The rain that is expected to hit the scorched Los Angeles landscape this weekend may bring relief to the fire fights, but it could also bring flash floods and mudslides. Although forecasts show that the risk is relatively low, local officials are taking the warnings seriously.

The outlook for the next three months shows drier-than-normal conditions close to southern California. An ABC News graphic shows the NOAA precipitation outlook in the U.S. on Jan. 15, 2024.

Here’s what to know about the drought in select Southern California counties ... on record over the past 130 years. According to NOAA weather data, the San Diego area saw 0.14 inches of rain ...

An air quality alert was issued on Wednesday at 4:14 p.m. in effect until Thursday at 6 p.m. The alert is for San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills and Orange County Inland.

Weekend rains could bring some relief to Southern California. Here's the forecast and an assessment of how much it will help reduce fire risk.