GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's been dry all month, and now the Triad is officially in a drought. High heat and no rain have taken a toll, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better.
The latest drought report was released early Thursday. It places 30% of North Carolina in a moderate drought, and about 60% of the state under abnormally dry conditions - which are usually a precursor to drought.
Eastern North Carolina is the only area not included. Those areas saw significant rain from Hurricane Dorian earlier this month.
Here in the Triad, this is our first official drought since the end of 2017 / early 2018 - nearly two years ago. You probably remember 2018 turned into our wettest year on record with more than 60 inches of rain.
What exactly is a "moderate drought"? This means that crops are suffering, wildfire danger is growing, and wildlife and plants are showing signs of stress.
"There's not any significant rain in sight," says WFMY News 2 Chief Meteorologist Tim Buckley. "This dry pattern will continue over the next week, so we shouldn't expect any relief soon."
This month has been one of the driest in history. We've had only two hundredths of an inch of rain all month. There have been only 3 drier months since early 1900.
