La Niña brings potential for another dry SoCal winter

The southern half of the Golden State still has not bounced back from the last year of below-average rainfall, and the reemergence of the ocean phenomenon could mean more drought, with another drier-than-average winter.

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The previous La Niña active from January until about April of this year “was a substantial player” in the region’s dry winter, said Emily Becker, research associate professor at the University of Miami who studies the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO.

Those conditions helped fuel some of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history. Even 10 months later, the region remains at relatively high risk for fire and in severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Southern California is facing similar drought conditions as it did when the January firestorm broke out, according to the monitor.