Bay Area drought conditions improve after January storms soak the region

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Recent winter storms in the San Francisco Bay Area didn't wash away California's drought, but the rain did help, according to ABC7 News Meteorologist Mike Nicco.

"Let's check what happened with all that rain we received last month," said Nicco. "January rains, while below average, did improve our Bay Area drought."

100% of the state is still in a drought, but California's drought map now shows less red.

"What you are going to notice is more yellow, which means the moderate has turned to dry," explained Nicco. "The red, the extreme, has turned to severe. That's the biggest change."

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Locally, Nicco says, the Santa Cruz Mountains received the biggest benefit after receiving the most rain in January.

As a result the Santa Cruz Mountains now fall in the "dry" category, "while most of the Bay Area now is in moderate," said Nicco. "Severe to extreme is mainly confined to Contra Costa County and the North Bay."

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