After one of the driest ends of meteorological summer on record in parts of northeastern North Carolina, state officials say abnormally dry conditions have re-emerged across much of the region, marking the first appearance of drought in weeks.
According to the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council’s latest report, 32% of the state is now classified as Abnormally Dry — including all of the Outer Banks and northeastern North Carolina.
August finished more than two inches below normal for rainfall in both Roanoke Rapids and Elizabeth City, ranking as the 17th-driest August on record for those sites.
While the NC State Climate Office notes that most impacts remain short-term — with groundwater and lake levels still near normal — streamflows have dipped, and dry topsoils are already affecting crops such as cotton and soybeans in other parts of the state.
The report also cites dusty conditions and a need for watering new plants, signaling stress for agriculture and landscaping.
Looking ahead, forecasters expect following a brief return of late-summer heat over the weekend, a cooler, drier pattern is expected after a cold front passes.
More rain chances could return by mid-September, but forecasters say there is “low confidence” in how long wetter conditions will last, especially with limited tropical activity even as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches its peak.
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