Drought Information Statement for Eastern/Central VA, NE NC and Lower MD Eastern Shore Valid December 5, 2024 Issued By: NWS Wakefield, VA Contact Information: This product will be updated December 19, 2024 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/AKQ/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Questions or comments can be sent to jonathan.mcgee@noaa.gov PORTIONS OF THE LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE ARE NOW EXPERIENCING EXTREME DROUGHT (D3) CONDITIONS SEVERE DROUGHT (D2) COVERS THE REMAINDER OF THE VIRGINIA AND LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE AND THE NORTHERN NECK All OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA AND NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA ARE NOW IN AT LEAST MODERATE DROUGHT (D1) STATUS U.S. Drought Monitor Drought intensity and Extent D3 (Extreme Drought): Portions of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset County in Maryland. D2 (Severe Drought): The remainder of Lower MD and Accomack County on the VA Eastern Shore and the Northern Neck of VA. D1 (Moderate Drought): All remaining counties in central and eastern Virginia and northeast North Carolina. Recent Change in Drought Intensity Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change Drought Worsened: One category of deterioration in drought conditions occurred over central and eastern VA, mainly west of I-95, and across interior northeast NC. Additionally, a one category deterioration occurred over portions of the lower MD Eastern Shore. No Change: Drought conditions remained the same across the remainder of the area. Precipitation Well below normal precipitation has been observed during the past 30 days over the majority of the region. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts River streamflows and subsurface water levels have mostly continued to drop over the past few weeks. Below normal to much-below-normal streamflow levels are found across the York, Rappahannock and Potomac River basins in central and eastern Virginia and also across the lower Maryland Eastern Shore. Fire Hazard Impacts There is an above normal wildfire risk for all of the region for the month of December. Mitigation Actions State of Virginia continues the drought watch for much of eastern Virginia. State of Maryland continues the drought warning for the Eastern Shore. A drought advisory is in effect for all of northeast North Carolina. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Below to much-below- normal streamflows are currently observed across the VA/MD Eastern Shore and the Potomac, Rappahannock and York River basins. Below normal streamflows also extend into the James River Basin and portions of the Chowan River basin. Fire Hazard Impacts There is an above normal risk of significant wildfire activity across much of the mid-Atlantic during December. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Although most places will see light precipitation over the next week, significant precipitation causing improvement to the drought conditions is unlikely. Most places will see less than 0.50” of rain for the next 7 days. Long-Range Outlooks Below normal precipitation is favored during December. Below normal temperatures are favored during December. Drought Outlook During December, drought conditions are expected to persist over much of the region. Throughout the winter, drought conditions are generally expected to persist across the region.