By Brian Thompson
No rain is in sight (click here) for most of the Southeast through the opening days of November, thanks to a persistent warm and dry pattern.
The ongoing stretch of warmth and dryness in the region will spell bad news for the worsening drought.
Cities such as Pensacola, Florida, as well as Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama, are likely to end up with no measurable precipitation during the month of October.
The dry weather has been accompanied by record-breaking warmth, which will continue for much of this week.
Atlanta will likely set a new record for the warmest September through the October period, on the heels of the city's second warmest summer....
The Southeast
On this week’s map, (click here) most of the region saw deterioration in conditions as the dry pattern persisted. Georgia Climate Division CD 1 (Northwest), CD 3 (Northeast), and Alabama CD 2 (Northeast) all recorded their driest 60-day periods on record. Streamflow conditions continued to drop across much of the region, and drought-related impacts are being observed in the agricultural sector. Dry conditions have led to delays in the planting of winter wheat in Alabama. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service, topsoil moisture conditions (percentage rated short to very short) were as follows: Alabama - 78%, Georgia -73%, and Mississippi - 72%. On the map, areas of Moderate Drought (D1), Severe Drought (D2), Extreme Drought (D3), and Exceptional Drought (D4) expanded in both Alabama and Georgia while western portions of South Carolina saw expansion of areas of Moderate Drought (D1), Severe Drought (D2), and Extreme Drought (D3). In Upstate South Carolina, crop losses (hay) are being reported by the USDA Farm Service Agency. Overall, the region was dry, and average temperatures were one-to-eight degrees above normal with the exception of southern Georgia and Florida where temperatures were slightly below normal.
