Southern California is about to get its first significant rainfall in months, bringing desperately needed relief after dry conditions and hazardous winds fueled a series of wildfires in January. The rain could start as early as Saturday afternoon and last through Monday night with the heaviest rain coming on Sunday,

California firefighters could make more headway in containing three major wildfires burning in and around Los Angeles on Friday, as the latest round of blistering winds calm and the area's first rainfall in months arrives over the weekend.

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.