Drought Information Statement for For East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Southwest North Carolina
Valid May 3, 2026
Issued By: National Weather Service Morristown, TN
Contact Information: sr-mrx.webmaster@noaa.gov
This product will be updated May 7, 2026 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. 
Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates.
All of the NWS Morristown area remains covered by some drought category, with 30% covered by D3.
Negligible changes since last Drought Monitor issuance.
1

U.S. Drought Monitor
Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for For E Tennessee, SW Virginia, and SW North Carolina


Drought intensity and Extent
D4 (Exceptional Drought): None.
D3 (Extreme Drought): Most of southeast Tennessee, and part of the central Valley and Cumberland Plateau
D2 (Severe Drought): Northern Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee mountains, northeast Tennessee, and southwest Virginia
D1 (Moderate Drought): Remaining areas of East Tennessee and southwest Virginia
D0: (Abnormally Dry): None
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Recent Change in Drought Intensity
Link to the latest 4-week change map for For E Tennessee, SW Virginia, and SW North Carolina
One Week Drought Monitor Class Change. 

Drought Worsened: Small portion of the far northern Cumberland Plateau.
 
No Change: Remaining areas

Drought Improved: None.
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Precipitation
Multiple rounds of showers lead to variable precipitation across the region.
The southern plateau was 25-50% of normal, while elsewhere 50-75% or more occurred.
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Temperature
Temperatures have been well above normal the past 4 weeks, with most places +8°F above normal.


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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 below the 5th percentile for most of the area 

Fire Hazard Impacts
Wildfire activity continues to be of concern. The Wildfire Outlook suggests above normal activity in North Carolina.

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.



Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts
Summarize conditions/impacts here

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Agricultural Impacts
Very dry soil conditions continue across most of the region.
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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.
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Seven Day Precipitation Forecast
Widespread moderate to heavy rainfall is expected during the mid-week timeframe. 
There are good odds, upwards of 50%, that a significant portion of the area will see over 1” of rain, with over 2” possible.
This will provide some drought improvement in the next 1 to 2 weeks, though longer term rainfall deficits remain.





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Rapid Onset Drought Outlook
Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook.
No strong signal for any hazards.

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Long-Range Outlooks
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Slight signal for below normal temperatures in the month of May.
No notable signal with regard to precipitation chances for the month of May.

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Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Drought conditions are expected to persist across most of the area with some improvements possible along far western areas
Links to the latest:
Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook 
Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook 
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