Rainfall totals were nearly double the average in Northern California in December 2021. That’s what made the following month such a stark contrast.

January 2022 will go down as one of the region’s driest Januarys on record. Just a few weeks without rainfall was enough to dry out the ground, warm up the air and increase the risk for wildfires.

The Colorado Fire, which began on Jan. 21, demonstrated just how quickly conditions can go from promising to perilous. The fire burned through 687 acres of wildlands in Big Sur within the first two days. As of Jan. 31, the fire was 98% contained.