BALMY LA NINA DAYS CARRY HIDDEN RISK.

Byline: Phil Davis Daily News Staff Writer

Day after day of blue skies in Los Angeles, balmy spring weather and no rain in sight make for great gloating weather, as New York shivers under a winter blanket and soggy Seattle slogs through torrential downpours.

Thank La Nina, but get ready to pay the price, Los Angeles.

With rainfall tallies nearly 7 inches below normal, wildlife experts said Monday that coyotes, bobcats and other pet-eating critters soon will be coming down from the hills in search of food and water.

And thicker-than-normal hillside brush (Thank you, El Nino) is drying out into a potentially explosive tinder box for the coming wildfire season.

At the same time, spring has sprung early and plants are starting to sprout, but landscapers saeware: Another frost would be catastrophic, killing plants and leaving a colorless summer.

``This is what we expected,'' said Tim Barnett, climatologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. ``In Southern California, when we have a La Nina, it's unusual for us to get up to our normal rainfall.''

La Nina is the opposite of El Nino: It occurs when a pool of cold water masses near the equator, pushing the weather-generating jet stream and storm track into the Pacific Northwest, leaving Los Angeles and other desert communities dry.

Normally, Los Angeles should have logged about 11 inches of rain so far this year, not the pathetic 4.28 inches reported by the National Weather Service.

Even if the Southland had 200 percent of normal rainfall in March, it wouldn't boost the season numbers much, Barnett said.

``You are not talking about any significant water, so this is it for us,'' he said.

The tug-of-war, El Nino-La Nina, wet-dry interaction has forced firhters to recalculate their brush clearance plans and keeping a wary eye on the hills.

``Last year, the undergrowth dried out,'' said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Mark Tolbert. ``This year, the brush itself is going to dry out, too. To top that off, we're below normal on rainfall and that makes conditions worse.''

City and county fire inspectors are busy checking hillside homes to ensure owners are clearing thick brush before fire season begins in June.

Pets beware

Hungry and thirsty critters are another concern.

Right now, there's still plenty of water and food for coyotes, opossums, raccoons, bobcats and other wild animals in the hills and mountains around Los Angeles. But that could change as the hills continue to dry up, said Louis Dedeaux, a wildlife specialist with Los Angeles Animal Services.

``Without the rain, things don't grow as rapidly. Rodents have smaller litters and there is less food for predators,'' he said. ``I think we're all right for now. eally depends on how much it rains or doesn't rain.''

Since a hungry coyote won't think twice about making a snack out of the family cat, Dedeaux advised pet owners to feed their animals inside and keep pets indoors at night. He also suggested harvesting fruit trees. Fallen fruit attracts smaller creatures, which attract coyotes.

``We shouldn't help them by giving them a food supply. They are better off hunting for food in the hills,'' he said.

Early spring

The balmy weather has triggered some early blooms in Southern California gardens. That could cause gung-ho gardeners to jump the gun on planting vegetables, said Jon Tsuchiyama, manager of West Valley Nursery in Tarzana.

``Things are hopping,'' he said. ``I guess the only danger is some people are tempted to plant a little too early. Things like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash and sweet basil are all quite tender. If we get another cold snap - which is not unheard of in March - people can lose their early plantin ``Some caution is warranted.''

No drought forecast

On the bright side, surf's up and there's plenty of water to drink.

The latest winter storm pushed to the north by La Nina sent some tasty waves to area beaches Monday. And the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported Monday that the city's water supply in the Sierras is peaking at a 110 percent of normal levels.

``The dry weather will make people water their lawns more, but it really doesn't affect our supply,'' said Darlene Battle, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. ``It would take several years of drought - down here and up north - to really hurt us.''

So, for now at least, feel free to phone a Yankee and gloat.

While Los Angeles basked under sunny skies and near perfect temperatures in the mid-70s on Monday (with only a slight chance of rain clouds this weekend), New Yorkers slogged through a chilly thunderstorm.

The mercury topped out at 45 degrees.

``Hey, some guy's callin' from L.A. to find out what the weather's like,'' bartender Eugene Beech shouted to a Monday night crowd at McSoley's, a famous New York City tavern.

``Tell him it's cold,'' a patron shouted.

``It's pleasant,'' Beech said, a die-hard New Yorker unwilling to divulge anything negative about the Big Apple to someone from the City of Angels.

Still, with a long, dry summer threatening to test Angelenos' appetite for disaster, the fellas at McSorleys might get the last laugh after all.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, chart

PHOTO (1 -- color) Justin Redemann, left, Corey Sanchez, Gordon Kindlon and Patrick McCarrell, all 2, slurp icy treats.

Evan Yee/Daily News

(2) Britt the dog stands guard over owner Bill Anderson while the latter dozes in the warmth of the sun Monday at Topanga State Beach.

Andy Holzman/Daily News

(3 -- color) no caption (flowers)

Chart: Rainfall totals