The National Weather Service has reported that San Diego is experiencing one of the slowest starts to the rainy season in county history, with only a fraction of an inch of precipitation recorded so far. Forecasts do not indicate significant changes in the near future; besides some scattered drizzle, no considerable rainfall is expected until the new year.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center projects that San Diego County, along with much of California, will have below-average chances of receiving precipitation through mid-January.

On the other hand, temperatures are expected to remain above seasonal averages during this period, according to NOAA's latest climate outlooks.

This pattern of mild but dry weather appears set to continue for a few more weeks. The persistently arid conditions do not bode well for preventing the development of drought, which had eased across much of the state following two particularly wet winters.

Prior to 2023, California was in the midst of a record-setting drought that pushed water levels in the state's reservoirs to all-time lows and resulted in significant damage to the agricultural industry. This month, the U.S. Drought Monitor has reintroduced an "abnormally dry" designation for much of southern and central California, including San Diego.

You might also be interested in its Spanish version: ¿Cuándo llegarán las lluvias a San Diego?

However, all hope is not lost for keeping drought at bay with an ultimately decent rainy season. While a slow start often suggests lower precipitation totals, there have been previous rainy seasons that, after a sluggish start, ended up closer to average by the end of the water year, which runs from October to September.

For example, in the 1981 water year, which is tied for the seventh slowest start to the rainy season in county history, San Diego recorded a rainfall total of 8.13 inches, according to the San Diego Water Authority — just two inches shy of the regional average.