May 2026
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The latest Drought Monitor, released today, shows just minor changes in drought conditions this week. This is likely due in part to a lot of the rain falling after the Tuesday morning data cutoff, but may also reflect the author being careful not to improve the drought too quickly until we know the pattern has…
Posted in: Drought -
The latest 7-day QPF map shows that the heaviest rain in the next week is going to shift back from the northern Gulf Coast to areas farther north and west, where the rain has been falling more frequently this spring. Last week’s heaviest rain fell in southern Alabama and Georgia and northern Florida, but this…
Posted in: Climate outlooks -
As we go into the hottest part of the year, it is important to monitor conditions to make sure you are protecting yourself, your family, and your workers against heat illnesses. The North Carolina State Climate Office has produced a new map tool that shows how the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is distributed across…
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There have been many impacts from the current exceptional drought in the Southeast. One that has not been mentioned until lately is the decrease in stream flows on many of the region’s rivers. Many water bodies, including reservoirs and farm ponds, have lost a lot of water due to the combination of no precipitation and…
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If you like literary discussions about weather and climate, you might enjoy this essay from Literary Hub on conversations about the weather and the words we use to describe it. It also describes how our conversations about the weather have changed over time. You can read it at https://lithub.com/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-the-weather/.
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued their latest ENSO outlook for the coming months earlier today. It shows that El Nino is likely to emerge in the May through July period and strengthen throughout the rest of this year, lasting into next winter. There is a chance that it could become a very strong event, although…
Posted in: El Nino and La Nina -
Update: Video now available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUzEUnW4xtE&feature=youtu.be.Drought conditions cover most of the Southeast region causing significant impacts to agriculture, forestry, and water resources due to persistent dry conditions that date back to fall of 2025. This webinar will address the evolution of this drought, how it compares to previous events, sector-specific impacts across the region, state-level…