Drought intensifies as snowpack drops.

On April 1, the peak snowpack measured near Phillips Station, California was 66 percent below the normal average.

The snow season was off to a good start last fall, but since the turn of the year, low moisture and high temps have melted much of the snow cover. 

Karla Nemeth, Director, California Department of Water Resources: "We had a very wet set of storms in October where we saw single day highest rainfall totals ever in nearby areas. That was followed by an abnormally warm and dry November. And then we had a December for the record books where we stood at about 168% of average here in December. December 30th we measured over six and a half feet of snow. So 78 plus inches down to now about one inch."

The latest Drought Monitor from the University of Nebraska reveals only a slight improvement in conditions this week. The extended dry period has tightened drought’s grip on much of the western half of the United States.  This season has been one of the driest since the drought of 2012.

Another week, another round of spring storms in the South. Thirteen tornadoes were reported on Tuesday following 68 reports on Monday - mostly across a region stretching from Mississippi to South Carolina. At least three people lost their lives. 

Here in the southeastern Georgia town of Pembroke, power crews worked to restore lines where they could as other neighborhoods were beyond repair. 

For Market to Market, I’m David Miller.