Walker County and northwest Alabama are still officially lingering in a small drought, while southeast and northeast Alabama have essentially returned to normal.
The lowest level, abnormally dry, is seen over central Alabama and other parts of the state.
However, the middle level of drought, severe drought, continues to hang over a tiny fraction of the southeast corner of the state and over extreme west Walker County, east Fayette County and north Tuscaloosa County, as well as the west tip of Jefferson County.
The Oakman and Townley areas appear to be affected in the agency’s map.
At the start of the calendar year 2017, almost 90 percent of the state was in at least severe drought, half of it had reached at least extreme drought, and 19 percent had been in the worst stage, exceptional drought.
Today, no parts of the state are in the two worst stages, with 44 percent of the state not at any drought level.
A total of 56 percent is at least in an abnormally dry state, while 28 percent is at least in a state of severe drought, which appears to be over two-thirds of Walker County.
In surrounding areas, half of Winston and Cullman counties appear divided between abnormally dry and moderately dry, while most of Marion and Fayette counties are in moderate drought.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham posted on May 4 that beneficial rainfall had started falling the previous week, averaging 1-2 inches.
“This has resulted in stream flows returning to near normal levels across much of Central Alabama for the time of year,” the agency said at the time.

Damage from the 2016 drought is evident across Alabama.
But this year, a disturbing number of trees show no signs of life.
Pines of various ages and sizes are dying, from seedlings to mature trees.
These insects generally infect the pines with associated fungi causing the trees to die more quickly.
Stone said the 2/3 of the north Alabama have been affected by the drought and beetle infestation as a result.
Some of the hardest hit counties are Calhoun, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, DeKalb and Blount.
Much of southeast Alabama is under moderate drought while Tuscaloosa, Walker and Fayette Counties in central Alabama are suffering severe drought conditions.
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Extreme drought conditions return.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report indicates extreme drought conditions have returned to portions of central Alabama, including Tuscaloosa County.
The report released on Thursday reflects a break in a trend this winter of gradually improving drought conditions.
At the time of last week’s report, extreme drought conditions had eased in the state.
The extreme drought conditions exist in an area spanning parts of Pickens, Greene, Tuscaloosa, Hale, Bibb, Jefferson, Shelby and Walker counties.
The area remains under a long-term drought, which is a period lasting longer than six months typically.
Remaining areas in the south-central part of the state are abnormally dry or near normal.
Rainfall within the past week was not enough to provide any significant improvement in the long-term drought conditions, according to the report.
Tuscaloosa reported 10.67 inches of precipitation so far this year, about an inch above average.
The forecast for the end of the week calls for a 40 percent chance of rain on Friday and highs in the 80s before temperatures cool on Saturday and Sunday with highs in the 60s.