Drought in Alleghany, North Carolina

Severe Drought conditions already in place for all of Alleghany County at the beginning of the month, persisted until December 12th, when two low pressure systems passing across the lower Mid-Atlantic during the week of December 3rd to the 10th brought rainfall amounts ranging from 2.00 to 2.25 inches to the county. This precipitation resulted in a significant increase in soil moisture, surface stream flows, and ground water levels sufficient to allow drought conditions to be improved to Moderate Drought per the U.S. Drought Monitor. The precipitation moistened leaf litter and other fuels that support wildland fire activity, and a noted decrease in wildfires after these precipitation events was noted by the North Carolina Department of Forestry. Additional rainfall in excess of four inches in spots resulted in removal of drought for nearly all of the county, with improvement to Abnormally Dry conditions through the remainder of the month. There was no reported impacts to agriculture in December, with some farmers reporting that the lack of soggy ground make work in the fields easier to accomplish.

The passage of multiple low pressure systems near the Carolinas during the month of December brought abundant precipitation to northwest North Carolina, most of which fell as rain. Liquid precipitation totals varied generally from 4.5 inches to 6.5 inches for most of the northwest portion of the state, with a few totals reaching in excess of 9 inches along the crest of the Blue Ridge from Watauga County into Alleghany County. These precipitation totals were anywhere from 150 percent to over 200 percent of normal for December, making for vast improvements in local stream flows, ground water levels and soil moisture from their peak dryness in mid-November. As such, where Severe Drought conditions were in place across the entire northwest portion of the state at the beginning of the month, conditions improved to Moderate Drought by the end of December for areas along and west of the Blue Ridge, and to a combination of Moderate Drought and Abnormally Dry conditions across the foothills of the Blue Ridge and the Piedmont.