On Thursday morning, the latest update to the drought monitor was released. The latest update shows the majority of our area is now experiencing ‘Abnormally Dry’ conditions and the far northwest corner of Lauderdale County is experiencing ‘Moderate Drought’ conditions.

You don’t need us to tell you that we have seen an extended period of dry weather lately. The upper-level ridge which has been responsible for the heat has also led to dry conditions for the Tennessee Valley. These dry conditions have led to some brush fires across portions of Northern Alabama this past week.

Athens Fire and Rescue fight brush fire

Rainfall during the month of June has continued to be very isolated in coverage, with some of the heaviest coming all at once. So far Huntsville has seen 1.74 inches of rain, this is just over an inch under what we normally should be at. Although yes it’s been dry, it isn’t the driest on record between June 1st and 23rd in 1988 we only saw a trace of rainfall. For the Muscle Shoals area, the rain deficit is nearing three inches, with this area only seeing 0.86 inches so far this month. So far, this has been the ninth driest June on record for Muscle Shoals.

Rain chances look to remain limited heading into the seven-day period. The best chance to see rainfall arrive along and ahead of a cold front passage Sunday into Monday. From this vantage point, the main concern of storms that develop during this time period will be gusty winds and frequent lightning. Rainfall totals through the next seven days look to range from 0.25 to 0.50 inches.

What To Expect In The Next Week

As we head into the second half of June, the Climate Prediction Center is forecasting below-average rainfall for the region. The above photos show that North Alabama has a 30 to 50 percent chance of seeing below-average rainfall between June 29 and July 3.

With the potential for a continuation of dry conditions, there will be the threat that drought conditions could worsen across our regions.