by Calculated Risk on 1/19/2015 10:14:00 AM

This is worth a mention - the drought in California is a "growing" concern ...

From the San Jose Mercury News: California drought: What happened to the rain?

An unusually wet December has given way to a hot, totally dry January. And it's creating angst among drought-weary residents ...

Weather experts, however, say not to panic. They emphasize that it's too soon to say that California is headed into its fourth straight year of drought. And they point out that a dry January is not out of the ordinary in a typical Northern California winter.

"A midwinter dry spell occurs almost every winter, and it averages 19 days," said meteorologist Jan Null, owner of Golden Gate Weather Services in Saratoga. "Now if it persists on to February and March, then we're getting out of the normal realm."

This is the fourth year in a row with little rain or snow in the mountains (the statewide snowpack is about 36% of normal for this date). California is the largest agricultural state, and an ongoing drought could have an impact on food prices - and on the economy.