U.S. drought falls to 17 year low

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In what seemed like a pipe dream just a few months ago, drought in the Contiguous United States is now at its lowest point since 2000, covering just 6% of the country.  That’s down significantly from the end of fall where more than a third of the country was consumed by dry conditions.  None worse than California with widespread extreme to exceptional drought that had been plaguing the state for the better part of 5 years.  Dozens of storms slammed into the West Coast through the winter leading to the wettest cold season on record in northern California with some of the mountains getting more than 700” of snow.  For the rest of the country, it’s been quite wet as well, with drought relinquishing its grip on much of the east as well as the southern Plains.  Our wet pattern will continue, but this time likely leading to some flooding, as heavy spring rains move back into the already waterlogged central Plains where another 4”-8” of rain could fall through the middle of next week.