L.A.’s Record-Breaking 262-Day Dry Spell Is Finally Ending
Although “very beneficial,” the rain won’t be enough to end the devastating fire season.
Jason Ryan/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The historic dry spell that fueled the devastating Los Angeles wildfires is expected to end this weekend. Forecasters expect light rain and mountain snow on Saturday, ending 262 days and counting without rain. It’s the longest dry spell on record; the previous record was 253 days starting in February 2008. But despite the “very beneficial wetting rain,” meteorologists don’t expect an end to the devastating fire season. This weekend’s storm is likely to be followed by weeks of dry weather. Over the past two weeks, more than 28 people have died and more than 14,000 homes and other structures have been destroyed as dry conditions and gale-force winds have driven five blazes. As of Wednesday, firefighters were still battling the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, which had been 61 percent and 87 percent contained, the AP reported. Meteorologists measure each rain year starting Oct. 1. So far this year, Los Angeles has only received 0.16 inches of rain. Usually, 6.19 inches on average would have accumulated by now.
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