Dry conditions continue across the Tennessee Valley. We have had some rainfall over the past few weeks, but not nearly as much as normal for this time of year. The majority of the area has averaged between 3 and 4 inches of rain the past 30 days, which is roughly 50 to 75 percent of what is considered “average” or “normal” for this time of year on the calendar. November and December are historically wet months here, and it just hasn’t been that this year. Still, we aren’t formally in drought conditions (largely because of being so much above average in rainfall for the first half of the year). A large part of southern Tennessee into northern Alabama is ranked as “abnormally dry” though, but that is actually an improvement in the drought monitor product from where it was a few weeks ago for places like Hardin and Wayne Counties in Tennessee and western Lauderdale County, Alabama. It’s Wayne and Hardin Counties of Tennessee that really have our only significant rainfall deficits for the past year from today, and a large part of that is because our region saw major above rainfall starting last December and lasting into the first half of this summer.
As we look forward for the next 7-14 days, there are no signs of a major soaking rainfall locally either. The NWS forecast rainfall totals from now into the first half of next week only show around one tenth of an inch or so of rainfall expected. There may be a little bit more of an opportunity for rain the second half of next week, however. Looking through Christmas Eve, the latest precipitation outlooks from the NWS Climate Prediction Center show near average to slightly below average precipitation chances. That does NOT mean that we will be rain-free, but it does suggest that, at least for right now, it’s not a good idea to expect any major wet weather systems in the immediate future.
