A bipartisan bill introduced on Jan. 28 by three California lawmakers would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to maintain a program that improves wildfire forecasting and detection.

The mountains and foothills of Los Angeles County are in “extreme drought” conditions, about 36% of the county, explained Pugh. That’s one category shy of hitting the highest level, “exceptional drought,” and three higher than the lowest, “abnormally dry.” The rest of the county is in severe drought.

The Los Angeles region, still reeling from this month’s firestorm, is under a red-flag warning from noon Monday through Tuesday morning.

Less than an inch of rain fell in most areas, but it was enough to loosen Los Angeles hillsides burned bare by the recent blaze near the Pacific Palisades.

An air quality alert was issued on Wednesday at 4:14 p.m. in effect until Thursday at 6 p.m. The alert is for San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills and Orange County Inland.

Smoke and ash could poison plankton and other organisms that form the foundation of the marine food chain, biologists say.

California is investing $15 million to offset climate change threats to salmon and steelhead trout in river and stream habitats through watershed projects.

California's insurance crisis risks triggering broader financial instability, an expert in economics and the environment warned.

A slow-moving low-pressure system will linger over the Southwest, bringing steady rain through at least Monday.

A La Niña winter just started, but it isn’t expected to last long. National forecasters are already looking ahead to the spring season. A new long-range forecast released Thursday shows

With increasingly hot weather and topographical features that resemble those in parts of Southern California, the booming Texas metropolis ranks fifth among U.S. cities threatened by wildfire.