Drought persists
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Several drenching rains over the past week or so won't pull North Alabama out of a drought, but they are making an impact.
Why it matters: Dry conditions persisting into the normally-dry summer months could mean big agricultural impacts and increased fire danger.
- "We really depend on the cold season to supply us with the moisture going into that warm season when we see a drying trend," Kris White, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Huntsville, told Axios.
State of play: As of the latest Drought Monitor map, out yesterday, Madison County and the majority of the Tennessee Valley are still in a severe drought.
Yes, but: That could be more of an issue with the Tuesday deadline for data that informs the map, White said.
- "It's a wait-and-see thing," he said, as meteorologists and others keep an eye on stream gauges and soil moisture levels from recent rains to see how big an impact it will make in the coming days.
By the numbers: Huntsville has seen about 2.5 inches of rain in the past week or so, with similar amounts falling across the region, including 2.24 inches in Decatur and 2.84 in Belle Mina.
- "That's probably not going to lead to a drought-buster," White said.
- But as that water works its way through the local hydrological system, he said it's likely to result in a one-category upgrade on the drought status, which would take North Alabama from severe drought to moderate drought.
What we're watching: White said the outlook for May is generally pointing to warmer-than-normal conditions, but for the next couple of weeks or so, it should be cooler and wetter.
- The latest NWS forecast shows a 50% chance of rain tonight, 20% chance tomorrow, then dry conditions until a 40-50% chance of showers Tuesday night into Wednesday.