Parts of the Carolinas Experiencing a Flash Drought

Drought has returned to the Carolinas for the first time since late April. Although the summer started off wet, the last month has been dry across parts of the Sandhills, Midlands, and Piedmont. 

High pressure over the east and central US over the last month has also lead to extreme heat with temperatures climbing into the mid to upper 90s for several days. This has lead to moisture being zapped from the soil. Lawns are getting brown and crunchy and even streams and creeks are running low. 

The combination of extreme heat and very little rain has led to parts of the region entering into a flash drought.

Just last month 3% of the Carolinas were experiencing some abnormally dry conditions, but neither state was experiencing drought. Now more than 50% of North Carolina and more than 30% of South Carolina are experiencing some form of drought with more than 5% of the Carolinas in a moderate drought. 

Unlike a gradual drought, which is brought on by a slow decline in rainfall, a flash drought comes on quickly due to lack of rain and extreme heat. According to drought.gov, flash droughts are most common in July and August across the Central and Eastern US, and in May for the Southeast.

This dry and hot stretch will finally break by the weekend. A cold front will stall across the Carolinas, bringing not only cooler temperatures by several rounds of rain through early next week.

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