Southern California's dry spell could be one for the record books

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) - After a record-shattering start to the year with heavy precipitation, flooding and mudslides, metro Los Angeles is now experiencing a dry spell that could also make history.

According to the National Weather Service, the last time it rained more than a trace in L.A. was on May 5, when the city received 0.13 inches of rain—barely enough to soak the ground. This limited rainfall was followed by five straight months without so much as a drop, NWS data shows.

November only saw 0.14 inches of rainfall through a series of light sprinkles.

“If we do not receive any measurable rainfall through December 31, the Downtown Los Angeles sensor will finish tied for first place for the driest conclusion to the year,” said Todd Hall, senior meteorologist at the Weather Service offices in L.A. and Oxnard.

This extended dry spell has predictably increased fire risk in Southern California, where Santa Ana winds have fueled several wildfires. These include the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, which destroyed around 200 homes, and the Franklin Fire in Malibu, which leveled 20 structures.

Drought conditions have also begun to return. A U.S. Department of Agriculture map shows Southern California as “abnormally dry” as of Dec. 17.

There is, however, some hope for precipitation in the extended forecast.

Models show a 20% chance of rain in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. Hall said there is also a potential storm system headed for California around New Year’s Day or the first week of January.

"We usually start to see some activity in the jet stream through the middle part of December," said Hall. "1989 was also on track to be a record dry end to the year, and then it rained on December 31, which took it out of the top spot.”