Last Updated on February 13, 2022 8:43 am
Drought conditions continue for North Carolina as 2016 begins to come to a close.
The conditions in western North Carolina have lead to an outbreak of wildfires and a burning ban remains in effect. 19 counties are in the “Abnormally dry” status, 15 in moderate drought, 8 in severe drought, 9 in extreme drought and 6 in exceptional drought.
Watauga and Avery are in severe drought status, while Ashe County is in the moderate dry status. The latest update from the North Carolina Drought Management Council shows southwestern North Carolina continuing to experience the most severe conditions.
From November 1 through November 29 2.67 inches of rain was officially recorded in Boone, most of which arrived just in the last few day. Until November 27th only .27 inches had been recorded. For the year 39.33 inches of precipitation has been recorded, making it the 5th driest since 1980.
Drought categories are based on streamflow, groundwater levels, the amount of water stored in reservoirs, soil moisture, the time of year and other relevant factors for assessing the extent and severity of dry conditions.
Drought map November 29, 2016 from the North Carolina Drought Management Council and USDA
