A bipartisan bill introduced on Jan. 28 by three California lawmakers would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to maintain a program that improves wildfire forecasting and detection.

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.

Rain has mostly moved out of Southern California after the first significant storm of the season brought weekend downpours that aided firefighters

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 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.

Less than an inch of rain fell in most areas, but it was enough to loosen Los Angeles hillsides burned bare by the recent blaze near the Pacific Palisades.

California is investing $15 million to offset climate change threats to salmon and steelhead trout in river and stream habitats through watershed projects.

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

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.

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.

Onlookers got a special treat when hundreds and hundreds of sea creatures propelled themselves from the water in California. A “super pod” of over 1,500 Risso’s dolphins were spotted by a boat in Carmel Bay, according to a Jan. 25 Instagram post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

A dry season down south could worsen already concerning drought conditions in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The predictions for the middle band of the U.S. are more of a toss-up.