Drought Information Statement For East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Southwest North Carolina Valid March 5, 2026 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): Area in and around Bradley County D2 (Severe Drought): Rest of southern Valley, far east Tennessee mountains, part of the Plateau, and southwest North Carolina D1 (Moderate Drought): Most remaining areas of East Tennessee D0: (Abnormally Dry): Most of southwest Virginia, the northern Cumberland Plateau, and portions of the northern Tennessee Valley. 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 areas Drought Improved: Parts of the northern Cumberland Plateau, central and northern Tennessee Valley, and a segment of Lee County Virginia. Precipitation Precipitation has been below normal for most areas. Temperature Temperatures have been near or above normal 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 are generally much below normal for the southern Tennessee Valley and east Tennessee mountains, and near normal most other places. Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture is below normal for agriculture in the southern Tennessee valley and western North Carolina, with near normal conditions elsewhere. Fire Hazard Impacts Tennessee Forestry has reported little to no fire activity, but the fire outlook for North Carolina is above normal 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 any local burning bans and regulations. . Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Streamflows are below to well below normal across most of the area Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map. Agricultural Impacts Dry soil conditions across most of the region 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 Multiple periods of showers expected between Saturday and the middle of next week. Most places are expected to see from 1 ½” to 2 ½” over the next 7 days. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook. No hazards in our area during Week 2 Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Above normal temperatures and above normal rainfall are slightly favored for the month of February. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought conditions are forecast to improve or possibly end across much of the area during the next 3 months, with the exception being the far northern Tennessee mountains. Links to the latest: Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook