Drought Monitor - Post-Gatlinburg Rains Did Little; Soy Shattering, Pastures Bare In AL, GA

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Ohio Valley, Southeast And Lower Mississippi Valley

Two to 4 inches of rain fell in a band from northeast Texas to southern Indiana, and across parts of central Alabama to central Georgia, as the cold fronts passed through the region. Over 4 inches was reported at a few stations in northeast Texas, northwest Louisiana, and southeast Missouri. Amounts ranged from half an inch to an inch and a half further east, but little to no rain fell by the USDM cutoff date across southeast Alabama and much of Florida to North Carolina. With November precipitation deficits through November 27, before the heavier rains fell, ranging from 3 to 5 inches across the driest parts of the Southeast, and year-to-date deficits ranging from 12 to 20 inches, locally well over 20 inches, 2 to 4 inches of new rain this week did little to alleviate the long-term dryness.

D1-D3 were pulled back in parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley to Ohio Valley, from Arkansas and Louisiana to Indiana and Ohio. D0 was largely left in place because the weekly rainfall amounts were not enough to eliminate even the month-to-date deficits in the D0 areas, except in parts of northwest and southwest Indiana where D0 was trimmed. D3-D4 were pulled back slightly in parts of east central Mississippi to west central Georgia, mainly where 2.5+ inch rains fell.

D1-D3 expanded in southeast Georgia based on the combination of low streamflow, long-term precipitation deficits, and drying soils. November 27 USDA reports indicated 93% of the subsoil moisture in Georgia was short to very short of moisture, and the topsoil moisture worsened from 92% short to very short last week to 98% this week.

D2-D3 expanded in southern Alabama and adjacent Mississippi and Florida to better reflect the extremely dry long-term precipitation deficits and local drought impacts. The USDA reported that 100% of the topsoil moisture and 100% of the subsoil moisture across Alabama was rated short to very short of moisture. Half an inch to an inch and a half of rain fell across western North Carolina this week, which was not enough to warrant improvement but was enough to prevent expansion of drought, except in one county. Jackson County pastures have died off and will have to be replaced/reseeded in the spring. D4 expand into Jackson County, North Carolina, where 7-day precipitation was below normal and long-term deficits were severe as measured by SPI values of -2 or lower at 30-90-day and 9-month time scales. D3 expanded in eastern Kentucky where 30-120-day precipitation deficits were severe, and D0 expanded in eastern Ohio to better reflect 30-90-day precipitation deficits. The drought impacts boundary line was adjusted in Kentucky and Georgia to better reflect the mix of short-term and long-term dryness.

Severe drought impacts continued to mount in this region and included parched soils, record to near-record low streamflows, and drying stock ponds. Impacts from southern Alabama, as submitted to the Drought Impacts Reporter, include shrinking aquifers, dried up stock ponds, failed crops, and stressed feed for stock. In Lowndes County, Alabama, ranchers have been feeding hay reserved for winter since early September, and, except in a few places, pastures were absolutely bare.

Soybean growers statewide have reported that soybean pods were shattering. Soybean pod shattering occurs as a result of hot and windy conditions and low humidity combining to dry the pod walls until they become brittle and break. As of mid-November, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs’ Office of Water Resources had declared most of the state in emergency drought status. As reported to the Drought Impacts Reporter, Marion and Talbot Counties in Georgia had no feed for cows; streams, branches, and ponds were dried up; there was limited watering for cattle and no winter grazing for cattle; and herd animals were dying. The Georgia State Climatologist reported that conditions in Seminole County include no grazing, hay shortage and hay supply running out, and too dry to plant any winter grazing.

In Cook County, Georgia, the corn crop was affected in the later stages due to lack of rain as well as the cotton, peanuts, and pecans crops, and even irrigated crop yields were down by 15 to 20%. In Putnam County, drought has decimated pasture and hay land; early feeding of hay necessitated by drought has led to low hay reserves going into winter; and there are no fall forages or wheat planted due to lack of rainfall. As reported by the North Carolina Drought Council, pastures in Jackson County have died off and will have to be replaced/reseeded in the spring, ranchers are having to feed hay to their sheep, and water use restrictions were in effect in nearby municipalities.

The Ohio State Climate Office noted that low farm ponds have been reported across Adams County and this general region in southern Ohio, and ground water storage is below normal across most of the state, with some of the greatest departures from normal found in aquifers in southwestern and south-central Ohio where levels are nearly four feet below the seasonal average.

November 27 USDA reports indicated that 81% of topsoil moisture in Tennessee was rated short or very short, with such ratings at 76% in Kentucky and Mississippi, 74% in Louisiana, 59% in Florida, 57% in South Carolina, and 43% in North Carolina. Subsoil moisture was rated short to very short in 80% of Tennessee, 79% of Mississippi, 75% of Kentucky, 70% of Louisiana, 53% of Florida, 49% of South Carolina, and 35% of North Carolina. The rain in Arkansas improved topsoil moisture from 76% short to very short last week to 47% short to very short this week; Arkansas subsoil moisture improved from 74% last week to 64% short to very short this week, but 16% of the state’s winter wheat was still rated in poor to very poor condition.

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