SoCal Records One Of Its Driest Februaries Ever

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – With little to no rain last month, the Southland saw one of its driest Februaries ever and one of the driest starts to the year on record.

The National Weather Service reported Monday that Los Angeles International Airport received "just a trace" of rain last month, tying it for the driest February since records began at LAX back in 1944.

For some perspective, LAX averages 3.25 inches of rain in the month of February.

"This was also one of the driest January and February combinations in recorded history in Southwestern California," the NWS wrote in a statement.

Meanwhile, downtown L.A. recorded just 0.04 inches of rain, tying it for with 1899 for the 10th driest February since records there began being kept in 1877, the NWS found.

Downtown L.A. receives an average of 3.8 inches.

Furthermore, downtown L.A. saw a total rainfall in January and February of 0.36 inches, the fourth driest ever. It was also the driest since it record 0.17 inches in 1984. It normally averages 6.92 inches of rain over the first two months of the year.

Santa Maria Airport, meanwhile, recorded absolutely no rainfall for the first time since records there began in 1906, the NWS reports.

Last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported that more than two-thirds of California is "abnormally dry," raising the risk of yet another round of wildfires in the state.

California was in a drought for more than seven years. The drought began in December of 2011 and didn't come to an end until March of 2019, a total of 376 consecutive weeks.