The "thanks" threw me for a second too, but like placeybordeaux, I believe it's being used in a merely causal sense. E.g. "Thanks to all the rain we’ve been hav

The "thanks" threw me for a second too, but like placeybordeaux, I believe it's being used in a merely causal sense. E.g. "Thanks to all the rain we’ve been having this summer the grass and dirt outside are often muddy."