Many years ago the owner of a rare fruit nursery here in San Diego County told me that we usually get our first fall rain around September 17th. I remembered that and began noting the first rain of the season on my garden calendar.

Reviewing my calendar recently, I found 14 notations of the first rain since 1993. I missed a few years. Often the rain events were not what other areas of the country would call a storm. Sometimes it was just a trace of precipitation. Other times it was 1/4 to 1/2 inch of rain.

Here’s my (incomplete) summary of first rain events by date:
September 1-15. (4) October 1-15 (2) November 1-15 (1)
September 16-30 (4) October 16-31 (3)

We haven’t had our first rain yet and it is September 30. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center released their outlook earlier this month. The pattern of a warm, dry autumn is anticipated for California. A weak La Niña event is expected late this fall and winter which could lead to warmer and drier than average weather through the end of 2020. Not good news for wild fires in the West. Autumn rains can end the wildfire season.

This is what I’m hoping for. With two 300 gallon rainwater tanks and another 300 gallons captured in Rubbermaid Brute trash cans, my vegetable garden and fruit trees thrive.