ROANOKE, Va. – Each Thursday marks the release of a new Drought Monitor update, and this week’s is particularly important given the spread of the Matt’s Creek fire.
The severe and extreme droughts in parts of the Highlands and Lynchburg zones are still in place and spreading further south. Additionally, the severe drought in North Carolina spread up into the southern counties of the NRV.
With this week’s update almost all of the state from the Cumberland Gap to the Delmarva is at least abnormally dry. Two-thirds of the state’s population are in a drought, and more than five percent of us are in the extreme drought.
Rain is having a tough time reaching us this month. One showery day brought a few hundredths of an inch, but we would need almost three inches to get back on track by the end of the month. To get back to where we should be by this time of year we would need around nine more inches of rain.
July was the last time rain amounts were above average in a month. August and October fell well below average. Even September was more than an inch below an average year. The long stretch of lacking rain primed us for drought which in turn promotes fire risk as we get late into the fall.
Our Weather Authority Alert Day on Thursday is in effect due to the spreading smoke and fire itself from the Matt’s Creek fire. Dry ground and plenty of fuel in the form of new leaves on the ground mean this fire will spread consistently until fire crews can get it under control. Some rain would help, but we don’t get much relief until next week.
Friday sends some showers our way, but those amounts are rather light. Next Tuesday brings a stronger system; if it brings enough rain that will help keep our fire risk much lower through Thanksgiving.