Drought Information Statement For East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Southwest North Carolina Valid December 7, 2023 Issued By: WFO Morristown, TN Contact Information: sr-mrx.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated in the next week 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/mrx/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for the NWS Morristown CWA Drought intensity and Extent D4 (Exceptional Drought): None D3 (Extreme Drought): Parts of Plateau, southeast Tennessee, and Cherokee and Clay counties of North Carolina. D2 (Severe Drought): Northern Plateau, much of southeast Tennessee, central east Tennessee, and parts of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. D1 (Moderate Drought): Rest of southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee. D0: (Abnormally Dry): None Recent Change in Drought Intensity Link to the latest 1-week change map for the Southern Appalachians Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: None No Change: Most places outside of the central and southern Valley Drought Improved: Extreme southern Plateau and much of the central and southern Valley Precipitation Drier than normal conditions have been occurring across much of the region except for the parts of Tennessee valley. Temperature Temperatures have been above normal during the past 4 weeks. Summary of Impacts Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter Hydrologic Impacts Stream flows have improved with normal to slightly below normal. Agricultural Impacts Dry weather has hampered small grain and fall hay seedings. Pasture conditions continue to decline this week. Soil moisture has improved. Fire Hazard Impacts Tennessee Forestry has reported a decrease in fire activity after recent rainfall Other Impacts Stay tuned for future updates. Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. Continue to abide by local burning bans and regulations. . Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Streamflows have improved over much of the area. Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map valid 11/29/2023 Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture has improved across much of the area due to the recent rains. Fire Hazard Impacts Latest TN Burn Ban map available here. Latest VA Burn Ban map available here. Latest NC Burn Ban information available here. Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Precipitation is expected during the next 7 days. The best chances of precipitation will be on Sunday. Overall, most locations are expected to receive between 1 to 2 inches of precipitation. Image Captions: Left - Climate Prediction Center Monthly Temperature Outlook. Right - Climate Prediction Center Monthly Precipitation Outlook. Valid MM YYYY Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Above normal precipitation are favored this month. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Above normal temperatures and precipitation is favored this month. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook. No hazards posted.