Los Angeles will end the year shattering records after enduring one of its driest periods in history, a result of La Niña’s lingering effects, weather officials said.
Despite beginning the year with historic rainfall levels, an extended dry spell has covered Southern California since spring, bringing severe drought conditions that have fueled several large wildfires in recent months.
In the downtown L.A. metro area, from May 6 to Dec. 31, the area only received 0.16″ of rain, making this seven-month stretch the second driest in L.A. history, according to data from the National Weather Service.
The only period that topped this dry stretch was in 1962 when the downtown area received only 0.14 inches during the same seven-month span.
The driest periods recorded for the downtown L.A. metro area from May 6 to Dec. 31:
|
Rank |
Ending Date |
Total Precipitation: May 6 to Dec. 31 |
|
1 |
1962-12-31 |
0.14 |
|
2 |
2024-12-31 |
0.16 |
|
3 |
1903-12-31 |
0.45 |
|
4 |
1929-12-31 |
0.47 |
|
5 |
2017-12-31 |
0.52 |
|
6 |
1958-12-31 |
0.55 |
|
7 |
1917-12-31 |
0.64 |
|
8 |
1975-12-31 |
0.68 |
|
9 |
1956-12-31 |
0.92 |
|
10 |
1980-12-31 |
0.98 |
During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the south and cooler than normal in the north. The phenomenon can have global impacts on weather, wildfires, ecosystems and more, according to NWS.
“During La Niña events, trade winds are even stronger than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia,” NWS explained. “Off the west coast of the Americas, upwelling increases, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. These cold waters in the Pacific push the jet stream northward and tend to lead to drought in the southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada.”
In recent years, the weather pattern has brought severe drought conditions to Southern California, fostering dangerous conditions for wildfires.
In the coming new year, a chance to break the dry spell may arrive soon with a potential storm system headed for California around New Year’s Day or in the first week of January, according to Todd Hall, a senior meteorologist at the NWS offices in L.A. and Oxnard.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
