In an area where the living had been easy, life was suddenly a chore. The same wild weather conditions that had isolated Buffalo in the snowand frozen Florida's orangeshad also aggravated the 13-month drought that has plagued eight Western states. A high-pressure system lay off the West Coast, diverting winds northward to pick up arctic cold and blocking the normal flow of moisture to the West. In California, the loss in crops and other agricultural production may exceed $1 billion, and the water shortage is already affecting daily living in some unlikely places. One is Marin County, an affluent, scenic suburban...
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