California requires “several more storms” to make up for an unusually dry January that has plagued the southern half of the state, according to State Climatologist Michael Anderson. … So far, Southern California has seen an extremely dry start to the water year. San Diego, for example, had its driest start to the year on record. Other cities, like Los Angeles, were around 6 inches below their average precipitation amounts for this time of year. The bout of dry weather has contributed to the devastating wildfires that ignited across the Los Angeles region, and it could have other, long-standing impacts if more storms don’t arrive before winter ends. … As of Monday, most of California’s major reservoirs are performing above average for this time of year. However, most water levels begin to rise in the spring as snow melts at higher elevations and feeds the reservoirs.

Other weather and water storage articles:

• NBC 4 Los Angeles: See weekend rain totals in Los Angeles County
• KCRA 3 Sacramento: Pattern change ahead? When atmospheric river moisture could return to California
• Fox 5 San Diego: How rain affects San Diego County’s coastal beaches and bays