Drought Information Statement for Central Alabama Valid May 7, 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 WITH A SLIGHT EXPANSION OF D3 IN THE SOUTH. Drought intensity and Extent D4 Exceptional Drought: None. D3 Extreme Drought: Numerous counties across the southern half of the county warning area experiencing extreme drought conditions. D2 and D1 Severe/Moderate Drought: The rest of the area is experiencing either severe or moderate drought. D0 Abnormally Dry: All of Central Alabama U.S. Drought Monitor Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for central Alabama Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: Almost the entire area had at least a 1 category change toward worse drought conditions. There were a few slivers of 2 class changes. 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 Link to the latest 4-week change map for central Alabama Temperatures 7 and 30 Day Anomalies Summary of Impacts Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter Hydrologic Impacts Following a few days of wetting rains, streamflows are generally running at normal to above normal levels with some below normal in the southeast. 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. Planting in some areas is being delayed. 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 within the last month and the statewide fire alert remains in effect at this time. Other Impacts None Drought Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. Hydrologic Conditions & Impacts Previous days rain has left many streamflows running above normal. Below normal streamflows continue in the southeast. 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 Recent heavy rainfall has resulted in soil moisture improvements across most of the area except for portions of the south. Fire Hazard Impacts Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center. There have been an increase of wildfires across central Alabama over the past month 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. May features an above average potential for fires for coastal Alabama. State Alerts Link to Alabama Forestry Commission The latest Alabama drought declaration map has all of Alabama in either an watch or warning status. Click the link at the bottom of the page for more information. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast The next 7 days will feature multiple rounds of additional rainfall across Central Alabama. Most of this will come over the weekend and into early next week. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook. Medium Range Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage 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 monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage The latest seasonal outlook released by the CPC on April 30th and valid through July, shows a mix of improvement and persistence across the area.