Drought Information Statement
For East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Southwest North Carolina
Valid April 9, 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. 



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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): Cherokee and Clay counties in NC, and portions of McMinn, Monroe, and Polk counties in TN
D2 (Severe Drought): Much of the southern Tennessee Valley, the far east Tennessee mountains, and part of Washington county VA
D1 (Moderate Drought): Most remaining areas of East Tennessee and southwest Virginia
D0: (Abnormally Dry): A portion of the central and northern TN valley

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: Small portions of McMinn, Polk, and Monroe Counties
 
No Change: Most areas.

Drought Improved: None.

Precipitation
Precipitation was 50-75% or normal for most areas.






Temperature
Temperatures have been above normal the past 4 weeks, with most places 4-6°F above normal.


Summary of Impacts
Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter
Hydrologic Impacts 
Stream flows are extremely below normal for the entire area.

Agricultural Impacts
Soil moisture is between 10-30% below normal across the area. 

Fire Hazard Impacts
Tennessee Forestry has reported a notable uptick in fire activity over the last two weeks due to dry and warm conditions. Additionally the outlook for North Carolina is above normal for the rest of April.

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
Very dry soil conditions continue 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
Little to no rainfall is expected across the region for the next 7 days with further drought expansion likely next week. 




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 or possibly end across much of the area during the next 3 months, with the exception being the far northern Tennessee mountains.

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