On Monday at 11:45 p.m. an air quality alert was issued valid until Tuesday at 10 p.m. The alert is for Calabasas and Agoura Hills, Eastern San Fernando Valley, Eastern San Gabriel Mountains, Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational area,

How dry is it in Southern California? See the drought levels and recent rainfall totals for several counties in the region.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that the devastation caused by the wildfires in Los Angeles has been catastrophic and that he is anxious the death toll may increase. “Please be patient with us,

On Sunday at 4:16 p.m. an air quality alert was issued valid until Tuesday at 10 p.m. The alert is for San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire, San Bernardino County Mountains, Riverside County Mountains,

The stream of smoke is also visible from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). The GeoColor imagery below is a six-hour time lapse from Saturday that "looks approximately as it would when viewed with human eyes from space," according to the NOAA.

The Palisades and Eaton fires have burned nearly 40,000 acres and damaged or destroyed about 12,000 structures.

Satellite images show when the major fires, the Eaton, Palisades and Hurst fires, were first visible from space. See the timeline.

The Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Northeast are expected to face above-average precipitation, according to NOAA. States with a higher chance of increased precipitation between November and January include Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, has now ordered the evacuation of almost 49,000 residents. Approximately 13,208 buildings and 10,367 homeswere at danger of being destroyed, according to Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley, reported Business Insider.

As the narrative of the Southern California wildfires has shifted to identifying the causes behind what could prove to be the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, a common refrain has emerged on social media that seeks to dismiss the role scientists say climate change played.

A dry season down south could worsen already concerning drought conditions in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The predictions for the middle band of the U.S. are more of a toss-up.

Southern California was forecast to face more dangerous winds on Wednesday, but could get some badly needed rain this weekend, which could create new challenges like toxic ash runoff.