Drought Information Statement for Central Alabama Valid April 16, 2026 Issued By: NWS Birmingham, AL Contact Information: sr-bmx.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated only if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/bmx/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. DROUGHT CONDITIONS WORSEN OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA Drought intensity and Extent D4 Exceptional Drought: None. D3 Extreme Drought: Numerous counties in the southeast are experience extreme drought conditions. D2 and D1 Severe/Moderate Drought: Impact areas include Tuscaloosa to Demopolis, Montgomery, Selma and many areas surrounding the Birmingham metro. D0 Abnormally Dry: The majority of the Birmingham metro area and a few other areas as well. U.S. Drought Monitor Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: Almost the entire area had at least a 1 category change toward worse drought conditions. No Change and Drought Improvement: There were no areas of improvement with this update and only a few locations with no change. Recent Change in Drought Intensity Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Streamflows are generally running well below normal with some at all time lows for this time of year. Agricultural Impacts In January, the USDA designated 19 Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas due to the drought conditions impacting row-crop yields and forage availability. Hardened soil from lack of moisture has made plowing difficult, leading to increased equipment wear, such as dulled plow blades. Corn planting is underway, but many producers are delaying due to dry soils. Much of Alabama’s pasture and rangeland is rated in “poor” or “very poor” conditions. Fire Hazard Impacts There has been an increased amount of wildfire activity across Central Alabama over the past couple of weeks and the state has issued a fire alert. Other Impacts None Drought Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. Hydrologic Conditions & Impacts Streamflows are running much below to extremely below normal. Some navigation issues are expected for barge traffic on the lower Alabama River. Additional information can be found here: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/state/Alabama/ Hydrologic Conditions & Impacts Latest observed river conditions Latest river forecasts Agricultural Impacts Soil Moisture continues steady decline even as intermittent rainfall occurs. Fire Hazard Impacts There have been an increase of wildfires across central Alabama the past couple of week due to the drought conditions. The Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) has issued a statewide Fire Alert Fire Alert Several local municipalities have issued their own “no burn” notices. The remainder of April shows an above average potential for fires for the southern half of Alabama. The outlook May is calling for normal wildfire conditions across the state. State Impacts The latest Alabama drought declaration map has all of Alabama in either an watch or warning status. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms will be possible through April 22nd. Most of this rainfall is expected in the northwestern third of the state with little to no accumulation in the worst drought locations of southeastern Alabama. Whatever amount does fall will not be enough to improve the current drought conditions. Beyond April 22nd, there are some hints of a slight pattern shift that would bring a little more moisture to the area. However, it doesn’t look significant enough, at this time, to ease the overall severity of the drought. Medium Range Outlook The seasonal outlook for the next 3 month period is calling for medium chances of above average temperatures. Rainfall probabilities during this same time-frame are calling for near normal chances across the north with slightly higher than average chances in the south. Drought Outlook The latest seasonal outlook released by the CPC on April 16th and valid through July, shows a mix of improvement and persistence across the area.