ASHEBORO N.C. (ACME NEWS) — North Carolina just recorded its fifth-driest March on record, and drought conditions are intensifying with no meaningful precipitation on the horizon.
Severe drought now covers 77 percent of the state, while extreme drought has expanded to nearly 17 percent — a jump of more than 7 percentage points in a single week, according to the NC Drought Management Advisory Council’s assessment ending April 7.
Rainfall has run nearly 10 inches below normal over the past six months. Stations at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Hickory and in the Charlotte area have each recorded their driest six-month stretch ever, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. Streamflows are at daily record lows on the Pigeon and Neuse rivers, and 63 percent of the state’s topsoil is rated short or very short of moisture.
“Winter is usually the time when North Carolina’s water supplies get replenished due to good rains and low-water demand, but those good rains did not happen this winter,” said Klaus Albertin, chair of the DMAC. With spring planting underway, farmers face poor early growth or planting delays, and reservoir levels may struggle to reach summer targets.
The N.C. Forest Service’s statewide burn ban across all 100 counties remains in effect since 6 p.m. March 28.
The ban prohibits all open burning statewide but does not apply within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling, where local fire marshals have jurisdiction. All previously issued permits are suspended. Violators face a $100 fine plus $183 in court costs and may be held liable for suppression costs. Campfires and fireworks are prohibited; grills and barbecues may be used unless local ordinances say otherwise.
A 600-acre wildfire burned in rural Wilkes County last week, and a 147-acre fire broke out in Pender County on Friday before being contained with help from about an inch of rain Sunday.
No precipitation is expected through at least early next week. A dry westerly flow pattern is blocking moisture from returning to the region. The next chance for meaningful relief may not arrive until late next week, when a cold front could approach from the northwest. Even then, the NWS stopped short of promising significant rainfall, saying only that higher humidity may help improve fire conditions. Until rain returns in earnest, officials say the drought is likely to deepen.
The drought map is updated every Thursday at ncdrought.org.
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