Yesterday’s update the on the region’s drought status resulted in a return to drought level 1 , “Moderate”, for most of Wake County for the first time in many, many months. The drought status peaked at “Exceptional” during the winter, and still has a little further to go before returning to “Normal”. This is perhaps the most reasonable of the excuses for the City of Raleigh’s hanging on to Stage 1 water restrictions . My prediction is that these restrictions will be in effect until at least 2010 when the new watershed opens and/or a new mayor is elected.

Does anyone think that drought class names sound a lot like adjectives on the Applebee’s menu? The drought was “extreme” at one time, was later downgraded to “zesty” before reaching its current “downright tasty” status.