By Reginald Stanley. Posted July 1, 2025, 11:53 PM.

The 2024-2025 water year was characterized by weak La Nina conditions across the equatorial Pacific, which brought below average precipitation to Southern California.

Abnormally persistent subtropical ridging over northern Baja California created a sort of "rain shield" over the region, blocking virtually all incoming storms from reaching the southern part of the state during all of Autumn and the first half of Winter. This setup was favorable for frequent Santa Ana Wind events from November through January, peaking in early January during which an especially severe Santa Ana Wind episode tragically fueled devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County, destroying much of the communities of Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Most WeatherCurrents stations entered January with season totals standing at zero (!), before wet weather finally arrived to the region late in the month. These storms were not particularly strong, however the rain was greatly welcomed in a region that had been bone-dry up until that point in the season. A much stronger, wetter storm impacted the region in mid-February, courtesy of an atmospheric river. For many communities, this was the wettest storm of the season. Storms became more frequent throughout March, before gradually decreasing in number throughout April and May. Widespread thunderstorms appeared in early June - unusual for the time of year in Southern California.

Fears of the 2024-2025 water year being among the all-time driest subsided with the February and March rains, however the region remains in a drought and season totals still ended well below average. ENSO Neutral conditions are expected to persist throughout summer 2025 and possibly continue into the 2025-2026 winter, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

Here are the rain totals for the WeatherCurrents network and associates:

1. Riverside (Canyon Crest) season began October 1, 2024.