NOAA - Western Drought, Wildfires Likely To Continue

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WASHINGTON - "Drought conditions blanketing much of the Western United States are not expected to improve this spring, leading to more potential for "large, destructive" fires in some areas, U.S. government weather forecasters said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned in its spring weather outlook, which covers the April-June period, that above average precipitation during the winter has done little to improve multi-year drought conditions in Western states such as Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho and Montana.

The West has "a long way to go and the odds are against them that there will be any substantial relief during the spring for the areas that are in severe or exceptional drought," said NOAA administrator Conrad Lautenbacher.

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As of March 1, record or near-record low reservoir levels existed in many parts of the West, with capacity below 50 percent in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. Snowpack levels are above average throughout much of the West. Water levels also are higher than normal in the Pacific Northwest, northern Nevada and the northern Rockies in Montana and Idaho, which depend on waterflow to generate power at hydroelectric plants."

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http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/24373/story.htm