No drought relief for Nor Cal

According to the latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projections, the outlook for Northern California is that the current drought “persists/intensifies” through the end of January 2016. Thanks to a “strong El Nino,” there likely will be rain this winter, but the bulk of it will be concentrated in the coastal and Southern California areas, which have a greater than 40 percent chance of a wetter-than-average winter; while the North State's chances range from even to greater than 30 percent. Additionally, NOAA is saying there is a 40 percent to 50 percent chance of above-average temperatures in California, which will send snow levels in the already snow-pack-depleted Northern Sierras/Cascades to higher elevations.