Rain Is Finally Headed For Bone-Dry SoCal: What To Know

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, CA — After months of bone-dry weather and high winds that ignited devastating fires, the Southland is likely to finally see rain this weekend and through next week.

The storm is a welcome forecast for a region that has endured out-of-control, wind-driven blazes and the threat of more ignitions.

The cooling trend is expected to arrive Friday and intensify into the weekend as the cold storm system moves over Southern California, the National Weather Service said on Thursday.

"Just about every location in coastal Southern California, as well as the Southern California mountains, should at least get in on some showers this weekend," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk.

Between Saturday and Monday, communities are likely to get rain and mountain snow. In some areas, brief heavy downpours are possible.

"There is also a slight chance of thunderstorms, mainly for the coast to the mountains for Sunday afternoon and evening, potentially again on Monday with the potential for higher-intensity rainfall," NWS forecasters said.

Hail and thunderstorms are likely before another drying trend hits the region between Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Most coastal areas have the potential to pick up 0.25 to 0.50 of an inch of rain, and some of the foothills and lower mountainsides could pick up 1 inch to 1.5 inches," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Heather Zehr said.

In Los Angeles County, the rain has ignited fears of mudslides in areas where the Palisades and Eaton fires have left severe burn scars. There, the rain could hit after 10 a.m. on Saturday with less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Ahead of the weekend, LA officials were preparing for potential rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas.

RELATED: Amid La Nina, SoCal Returns To Drought With Record Dry Weather

Higher chances of rain and thunderstorms are forecast in LA County for Saturday night, Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, another chance of showers will linger.

In Orange County, showers are likely on Saturday after 4 p.m. with less than a tenth of an inch possible. Rain is likely through Tuesday with a thunderstorm expected on Sunday, according to the NWS.

In Riverside County, where the weather can vary vastly between the desert and the mountains, rain was expected to hit after 4 p.m. on Saturday in the Banning area, where more rain and thunderstorms were forecast on Sunday. The area could see rain and cloudy skies through Tuesday night, weather officials said.

In the Coachella Valley, rain was forecast from Sunday to Tuesday but no thunderstorms were predicted.

Over in San Diego County, showers were likely after 4 p.m. on Saturday and were expected to persist intermittently through Tuesday night. No thunderstorms were in the forecast for the area.

A rainy forecast comes after multiple fires ravaged coastal and inland parts of the Los Angeles region, killing more than two dozen and leveling entire neighborhoods following a nine-month dry spell for the region.

The newest blaze to ignite, the Hughs Fire, has torn through 10,176 acres in northern Los Angeles and southern Ventura counties.

While fears of mudslides are worrying officials in fire-scarred areas, the much-needed rain is expected to dampen most of the region, temporarily quelling fears of high winds against critically dry landscapes. The rain could also help calm the barely contained Hughes Fire and douse the Palisades and Eaton fires, which were still smoldering.

According to AccuWeather, showers will help settle the dust around wildfire areas and briefly help clean out air particulates. But since it's been so long since communities have gotten rain, a buildup of chemicals on roads can make streets and highways extra slick, meteorologists warn.

Another rainfall event appears to be headed for the Southland in February.

"The next chance of significant rain over the next six weeks appears to be Feb. 10-23," according to AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok. "If appreciable rain doesn’t occur during that stretch, it may turn dry into much of March, further exacerbating the wildfire situation."

The Southland experienced the driest start to its normal rainy season on record, weather officials told Patch before the LA fires ignited.

"The last time we even had over a quarter of an inch in downtown Los Angeles was April 14 of 2024," Jayme Laber, a hydrologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. "Usually by this time, we have a little bit of rain, but man, it has been really dry."

The storms that typically come to quell California's fire season usually douse the state by November or December. But there is still hope in that California's wettest months are typically January, February and March, Laber said.

According to NWS meteorologist John Dumas, Southern California typically needs 3 to 4 inches of precipitation to effectively end the high fire season.

"We are well below that in Southern California," Dumas told Patch. "Until we get the rain, each wind event will present the danger of fire starts and rapidly spreading fires as the conditions are so dry."