The latest Drought Monitor, released today, shows a significant increase in the area covered by severe (D2) drought, especially in Georgia and Florida. However, in spite of numerous condition monitoring reports indicating even worse conditions, the Drought Monitor (DM) this week does not show any extreme (D3) drought. With the rain that is falling tonight across a lot of the region from TS Nicole, it seems probable that drought conditions will improve in next week’s map, making it unlikely that extreme drought will be designated by the DM this fall. I and the other contributors to the DM greatly appreciate all of the impact reports, including photos, that producers have sent in, and they have been noted, but since the DM has to include both short- and long-term drought impacts, and since our summer was fairly wet, the authors felt that none of our region met their criteria for extreme drought. Next week also appears likely to be wetter than average before dry conditions return in weeks 3 and 4. With a La Nina winter expected, it is likely that the winter will also be drier than normal, which could lead to drought in 2023 across parts of the region.
