Drought-Stricken Areas of South Will Get Rain to Start 2017

Linda Lam
Published: December 28,2016
Dry conditions have resulted in widespread drought in the South and had many wishing for a wet Christmas. Those wishes will be granted with a wet New Year's instead.
Fall was dry in the South, but recent changes have finally brought some much-needed rain. And more rain is on the way as southwesterly flow aloft will allow moisture to return ahead of an area of low pressure. That flow will allow a few disturbances to move through the region as well.
(MORE: New Year's Forecast)

Rainy setup for early week in the South.

The Forecast

The chance of rain begins for the lower Mississippi Valley late Friday and into Saturday. Rain will then spread north and east through the holiday weekend.
By late Sunday, the chance for rain will stretch from eastern Texas to the Carolinas, as well as along the Gulf Coast and into portions of Florida.

Five Day Forecast

The chance of wet weather will persist into Wednesday for the Southeast, while drier conditions begin to return farther west behind a cold front that is expected to push through the region midweek.
(FORECAST: Asheville, North Carolina | Chattanooga, Tennesee | Montgomery, Alabama)
A wide swath of 2 to 3 inches of rainfall is anticipated through Tuesday from southeastern Louisiana into southern Mississippi and much of Alabama, northwestern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee. Rainfall may be locally heavy at times, as well.

Rainfall Forecast

Many of the areas that will see the highest rainfall totals have been experiencing the worst drought conditions, including northeastern Alabama and northern Georgia.
(MAPS: Weekly Planner)
Thunderstorms are also likely, especially toward the Gulf Coast. A few severe thunderstorms are possible in parts of the southern Plains and into the Southeast, but it is too soon for specifics so be sure to check back to weather.com over the next few days.

Drought Update

Most of the South is still experiencing drought conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, released Dec. 20. Some areas have seen a bit of improvement since early November, but unfortunately other areas have seen the drought increase.

Areas experiencing dry conditions as of Dec. 20, 2016.
(U.S. Drought Monitor)

Portions of northwestern Alabama have benefited from recent rainfall. However, a little more than 50 percent of the state remains in extreme drought, the second highest category from the drought monitor.
In Georgia, an area south of Atlanta has seen a slight reduction in the drought, but overall conditions have become worse. As of Dec. 20, 26.52 percent of the state is in the exceptional drought category, the highest category, compared to 14 percent on Nov. 1.
(MORE: Two Rounds of Rain Brought Some Drought Improvement in the South)
Southeastern Tennessee has also seen improvement with only 5 percent of the state in extreme drought on Dec. 20, compared to just under 15 percent on Nov. 1.
Many locations from the western Carolinas into northeastern Mississippi are experiencing one of the driest years on record. Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is seeing its second driest year on record through Dec. 26, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, is seeing its fifth driest year.
(MORE: Record Dry Streaks in the South)
The expected rainfall over the next week will be beneficial, but it won't end the drought. Many areas of northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, western South Carolina and western North Carolina would still need more than 9 inches of rain over the next four weeks for the drought to end, according to the Palmer Drought Severity Index.
MORE: Southern Drought, November 2016 (PHOTOS)