More than half of North Carolina is in severe drought, including nearly all of the counties in the eastern part of the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor released its updated report for North Carolina on Thursday which classified 56 counties in severe drought, 22 counties in moderate drought, and 22 counties as abnormally dry.
Assistant state climatologist Corey Davis said in a release that the dryness started in early October. He added less than one inch of rain fell in most areas last month, making it the driest November in North Carolina in 90 years.
According to the National Weather Service office in Newport/Morehead City, Eastern North Carolina received about 1-2 inches of rain on Wednesday. But the assessment period of the latest drought update ended Tuesday Dec. 7 so the rainfall was not taken into account. A cold front expected this weekend could bring up to a half inch of rain to some areas, but not enough to make up for the shortfall. Most of North Carolina is four to seven inches below normal rainfall over the last three months. Experts predict that drought conditions could continue through the winter.
