Will California have hot, dry weather or heavy rain in spring 2025? Here’s the latest forecast

After a dramatically dry, warm winter, spring is finally coming to California.

As a series of rain storms drenches much of the state, spring weather predictions are pouring from experts.

Will California see another wet, wild spring? Or will the Golden State grow prematurely brown under hot, parched conditions?

Here’s what you should know about what’s to come:

What was winter weather like in California?

Northern California started off the current “water year” below normal in terms of precipitation in October, according to Eric Kurth, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office.

The water year starts on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30 the following year, the weather service said.

Sporadic storms and dry, warm weather followed until the tide turned in early February, Kurth said.

That’s when a series of storms dumped a significant amount of rain in Northern California, lifting water levels across the region.

“When we’re above normal for one of our latter months, like March, that’s significant,” Kurth said.

Sacramento received a total of 12.32 inches of rain between Oct. 1 and Feb. 28, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s California Nevada River Forecast Center.

In comparison, Sacramento had received 13.59 inches of precipitation during the same time period during the 2023-24 water year, the forecast center said.

Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Oxnard office, said Southern California similarly saw a dramatic decline of rain during the winter.

Southern California was “super dry” with “almost no rain for December and January, which are two of those months that we normally do see rain for the area,” Schoenfeld said.

She said that was a “contributing factor” in the Palisades Fire and other significant wildfires that devastated Los Angeles County in January.

What’s the first day of spring?

In 2025, spring officially starts on Thursday, March 20, at 2:01 a.m., according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

The vernal equinox signals the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

During the spring equinox, the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere receive roughly the same amount of sunlight since neither hemisphere is tilted more toward or away from the sun, the almanac said.

The arrival of spring means more light in the mornings and evenings.

California will experience longer days and shorter nights up until the summer solstice on Friday, June 20, the longest day of the year.

Will Northern California see rain or sun this spring?

According to Kurth, the next few months could bring off-and-on precipitation and warmer temperatures to Northern California.

Sacramento will see below-average temperatures and precipitation during the month of March, according to the Old Farmer Almanac’s 60-day extended forecast.

The weather will transition from sunny to wet from March 20 to March 31, that first week, with temperatures staying on the cooler side, the Old Farmer’s Almanac forecast said.

Sacramento will be on the sunny and warmer side from April 1 to April 12, the forecast said, while the capital region will see “a few showers” and chilly temperatures from April 13 to April 20.

Later in April, Sacramento will likely see sunny and warm weather with above-normal temperatures, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Northern California will see above-normal to near-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation in March, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center

The region has equal chances for above- or below-normal temperatures and precipitation in April and May, the Climate Prediction Center said.

Will Central California see wet weather?

Spring in Central California is expected to be cool and wet with storms arriving in March and early April, according to David Spector, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Hanford. That’s normal for the season.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s extended forecast for Fresno calls for cool, wet weather in late March followed by sunshine and warm temperatures in early April.

By mid-April, Fresno residents can expect a few chilly showers before finishing the month with a rush of warm, sunny weather, according to the forecast.

Temperatures and precipitation are both expected to be below-normal in Fresno in March and April, the Old Farmer’s Almanac said.

There are equal chances for above- and below-average temperatures and precipitation in Central California in March, April and May, according to the Climate Prediction Center’s three-month outlook.

What’s the forecast for SLO and Southern California?

Spring in Southern California will start out sunny, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, with rain and cool temperatures expected at the end of March.

The region will get off to a warm, sunny start in April, with balmy temperatures continuing throughout the month

San Luis Obispo County weather will follow a similar pattern — sunshine followed by showers and cool temperatures — in late March, the Old Farmer’s Almanac said in its forecast.

The San Luis Obispo area will kick off April with sunny, warm weather, the forecast said, with a few showers and chilly temperatures predicted for April 13 to April 20.

More sunny and warm weather is expected later in April.

Most of Southern California has equal chances for above- and below-average temperatures and precipitation in March, April and May, the Climate Prediction Center indicated in its three-month outlook.

However, the southeastern corner of the state could see warmer-than-normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall for that time of year.

Will La Niña affect spring weather?

La Niña weather conditions are expected to “persist in the near-term,” the Climate Prediction Center said in a discussion of the an El Niño Southern Oscillation climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean.

The weather phenomenon is characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific, which usually means drier conditions in Southern California and wetter conditions in Northern California.

What does forecast mean for wildfire season?

While wet weather can boost the Sierra Nevada snowpack, raise reservoir water levels and provide ideal growing conditions for trees and other plants, experts said, all that new vegetation can act as fuel when wildfires spark.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword,” Kurth explain. “Having green grass and plants ... is suppressive to fires, especially larger fires growing, but as those grasses and plants dry out through the summer, they become additional fuel for the fire.”

According to the Southern California Geographic Coordination Center, there’s a “near-normal” potential for large wildfires across the state in March and April.

“The odds show a slight to moderate tilt toward above normal-large fire potential” for mountain areas in May and June, the coordination center said in Feb. 28 report.

There’s also a “higher probability of large fires” in timber-rich areas — and a lower chance of big blazes in grass-dominated areas — due to a smaller grass crop caused by the lack of winter rains, the report said.

This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Will California have hot, dry weather or heavy rain in spring 2025? Here’s the latest forecast."