California officials are bracing for the potential of another drought and an early and more intense wildfire season amid a record-breaking warm and dry February.

February is shaping up to be driest on record for much of the state, with chances of light showers on the horizon on March 1 and then not again until March 10.

Sierra Littlefield, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Sacramento, said there is a strong chance the state’s capital will see a completely dry February – something that has never happened.

“There is a lot of variability in the storm season, the rainy season for California,” she said. “We do have years that are really dry and years that are really wet.”

Downtown San Francisco is on its way to its first rain-free February since 1864, said meteorologist Anna Schneider.

The dry beginning of the year comes after a wet 2019 that capped mountains with snow, delivering water to reservoirs and helping to boost lush vegetation that can quickly turn into fuel for wildfires during dry, windy conditions.

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