Drought increases in Alabama, but more rain is on the way.
A streak of dry, warm, sunny days has caused Alabama’s drought numbers to tick upward again.
More than half of the state, 59.42 percent, was dealing with some sort of drought this week, according to the latest report by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The Drought Monitor report is compiled each Tuesday and released on Thursday, and it shows slight increases in several categories.
According to the report 28.94 percent of the state was in moderate drought, and 1.19 percent in severe drought.
A sliver of Houston County in southeast Alabama was also in severe drought.
Wider areas in southeast Alabama and in west-central Alabama were also mired in moderate drought.
But some relief is on the way.
Scattered rain and storms will be possible for the next few days across the state, with more widespread rain expected late Saturday into Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
And although Alabama is still in its prime severe weather season, severe storms were not expected to accompany this weekend’s rain — although a few storms will be possible.