Despite a spate of recent snow and rain, a drought persists across New Mexico.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report indicates a few inches of snow that fell in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains last weekend still aren't bringing the state's water levels close to where they need to be.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts drought conditions will only get worse through May.
The state currently has no areas considered in "exceptional drought conditions."
Yet the percentage of the state living in extreme drought, the next level down, jumped from 14.8 to 24 percent in one week.
The U.S. Drought Monitor compiles data from several agencies and assesses drought conditions weekly nationwide.
___
Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.