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.

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

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

The Los Angeles region, still reeling from this month’s firestorm, is under a red-flag warning from noon Monday through Tuesday morning.

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.

Smoke and ash could poison plankton and other organisms that form the foundation of the marine food chain, biologists say.

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 ...

Forecasts indicate that an atmospheric river will bring heavy rain and snowfall to much of the Pacific Northwest starting late this week and lasting through the weekend. With persistent heavy rainfall, flash flooding could become a concern for residents across the region.

The National Weather Service has issued a series of warnings for the Los Angeles area, including a flood watch and winter storm warnings.

The last time it was this dry in January, there were barely more than 500 people in San Diego. The year was 1850, and only a quarter-inch of rain had fallen in six months. It made the region ripe for wildfire — but that wasn’t much of a concern. The city’s population was clustered along the coast, far from the backcountry, where most fires burned.

On Monday at 11:45 p.m. an air quality alert was issued valid until Tuesday at 10 p.m. The alert is for Calabasas and Agoura Hills, Eastern San Fernando Valley, Eastern San Gabriel Mountains, Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational area,