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California has recorded alarmingly low levels of rain across the state over the last year, according to measurements completed this week, worsening an already bad drought and priming vegetation for a potential disastrous fire season.

The situation was most critical in Northern California, where rain and snow provide water for other parts of the state.

But Southern California didn’t fare much better.

“Rain years” are measured from the beginning of July to the end of June, and the last 12 months were the seventh driest in Los Angeles’ 144 years of records, said Jan Null, meteorologist and founder of Golden Gate Weather Services.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.