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.

A slow-moving low-pressure system will linger over the Southwest, bringing steady rain through at least Monday.

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.

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

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.

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.

Windy and dry conditions have returned to Southern California, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking as firefighters continue to battle two major blazes in the Los Angeles area that started in similar weather nearly two weeks ago.

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 ...