The recent storm brought some much needed moisture to Southern California without the dangerous mudslides some feared. But did it help reduce the fire danger?

The first significant storm of the season has brought snow and downpours to Southern California that doused wildfires and caused some ash and mud to flow across streets in the Los Angeles area.

Much-needed rain has begun to fall over Southern California, bringing relief to the drought-stricken region but also the threat of toxic runoff.

Snow shut down a key interstate north of Los Angeles for hours on Monday while weekend downpours doused wildfires across Southern California in the first significant storm of

Southern California will continue to face "dangerous fire weather conditions" including strong Santa Ana winds and extremely low humidity through later this week, forecasters said Tuesday.

Forecasters in Southern California expect to issue a 'particularly dangerous situation' red flag warning for the coming week as the Santa Ana wind forecast worsens.

Free insurance workshops designed to assist Los Angeles-area residents affected by the recent wildfires are scheduled at Santa Monica College and Pasadena City College.

As winds across the Southern California area are calmer than their peak and firefighters are making progress, the threat to the fire-weary region remains with Santa Ana winds expected to continue in the coming days.

The Santa Ana winds are dry, powerful winds that blow down the mountains toward the Southern California coast. The region sees about 10 Santa Ana wind events a year on average, typically occurring from fall into January. When conditions are dry, as they are right now, these winds can become a severe fire hazard.

Santa Ana winds will continue whipping through Southern California through Thursday, sparking fears that progress made fighting wildfires that have scorched over 40,000 acres and left 28 dead could be reversed and more blazes could break out.

With parts of Los Angeles County still smoldering from wildfires, the expected rain this weekend would seem like a welcome relief. But how the rain falls could make the difference between a disaster respite or a disaster repeat.

Wildfires in Southern California have prompted major discussions about water in the state. Here's an overview of where water comes from in the region.