Photo via Cal FireStill, Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuña says he avoids the word ‘quiet.’ California has benefited from lucky weather conditions so far, despite a low snowpack and blistering March, according to John Abatzoglou, a professor of climatology at UC Merced. As for predictions for the season ahead, Acuña likes to make them about as much as he likes the word ‘quiet.’ “It depends on what the weather brings us,” he said. “If it brings us hot, windy, red flag warning conditions, then that could certainly be a problem.