Dry Conditions

This time last year we were talking about drought conditions across North Carolina. Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Alberto along with other rains in the late summer and fall helped to bring relief to the "moderate drought" that had developed over portions of the state. However, it appears we maybe drifting back to a dry pattern, at least for now.
The North Carolina drought monitor released this week now shows much of the state has "abnormally dry" conditions. This is represented by the yellow shading on the above map. The darker shading in western North Carolina represents a "moderate drought" in the mountains.

Here's a look at year to date rainfall deficits as of Thursday morning for selected locations --

• Lumberton: -7.00"
• Wilmington: -3.16"
• Raleigh-Durham: -2.17"
• Asheville: -2.11"
• Greensboro: -1.10"
• Charlotte: -0.19"

These rainfall deficits are likely to grow over the next several days as our dry weather will continue for at least the next five to seven days. As we mentioned in yesterday's blog post, the Climate Predictions Center's long range forecast calls for near normal precipitation over the upcoming spring months.

For more information on the drought monitor for North Carolina, visit www.ncdrought.org.