California declared drought free for first time in seven years

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California was declared totally drought free for the first time in more than seven years on Thursday, following unusually abundant winter rains and snowfall statewide, according to the government’s weekly report on U.S. drought conditions. A relatively small swath of California’s southern-most region, including most of San Diego County, remains labeled “abnormally dry” on the drought map index, as does a tiny patch at the state’s extreme northern end along the Oregon border. Well-above-average precipitation this winter across the wider U.S. West has helped ease drought conditions throughout much of the region, filling reservoirs and restoring sparse snowpacks but also causing avalanche hazards in Colorado, the Drought Monitor summary said.

Source: www.reuters.com