Drought Information Statement
For East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Southwest North Carolina
Valid February 12, 2026
Issued By: WFO Morristown, TN
Contact Information: sr-mrx.webmaster@noaa.gov
This product will be updated in the next week or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/mrx/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 



1

U.S. Drought Monitor
Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for the NWS Morristown CWA
Drought intensity and Extent
D4 (Exceptional Drought): None.
D3 (Extreme Drought): southern Valley in and around Bradley County
D2 (Severe Drought): Rest of southern Valley, mountains, and part of the Plateau 
D1 (Moderate Drought): Most remaining areas of East Tennessee
D0: (Abnormally Dry): Most of southwest Virginia

Recent Change in Drought Intensity
Link to the latest 1-week change map for the Southern Appalachians
Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. 
Drought Worsened: Portions of the southern Valley and southwest North Carolina
 
No Change: Most of the remaining areas

Drought Improved: None.


Precipitation
Precipitation has been below normal






Temperature
Temperatures have been far below normal the past 4 weeks.


Summary of Impacts
Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter
Hydrologic Impacts 
Stream flows are generally below normal for most places

Agricultural Impacts
Soil moisture is below normal for agriculture. 

Fire Hazard Impacts
Tennessee Forestry has reported little to no fire activity, but the fire outlook for North Carolina is above normal

Other Impacts
Stay tuned for future updates.

Mitigation Actions
Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information.  Continue to abide by any local burning bans and regulations.
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Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts
Streamflows are below to well below normal across most of the area

Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map.

Agricultural Impacts
Recent dry weather has resulted in some drier soil conditions across most of the region


Fire Hazard Impacts

Latest TN Burn Ban map available here.

Latest VA Burn Ban map available here.

Latest NC Burn Ban information available here.


Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center.



Seven Day Precipitation Forecast
Light to possibly moderate rainfall is expected Saturday into Sunday
Most places will see around 1” or more with the heaviest totals well to our west
Limited rainfall is expected before or after this timeframe.

Rapid Onset Drought Outlook
Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook.
No hazards in our area during Week 2



Long-Range Outlooks
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Above normal temperatures and above normal rainfall are slightly favored for the month of February.


Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Drought conditions are forecast to improve over the next 3 months

Links to the latest:
Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook 
Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook