Why It’s Been So Warm and Windy in Southern California This Winter
The official stats are in: January and February were the driest first two months of the year on record across much of California. Those months should normally be the wettest period of the year.
February was also unusually warm. In Southern California, the warm readings were repeatedly accompanied by Santa Ana winds. These conditions dried out vegetation after an uncommonly wet December in the state and spurred winter wildfires such as the Emerald fire in Laguna Beach.