North Carolina Drought Worsens as Most of Charlotte Area Faces Extreme Conditions

Mecklenburg County and the areas around it sit in severe to extreme drought. Almost 60% of the county now falls into the extreme drought category, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor update. Months of below-average rainfall since fall have brought little relief.

Some parts still face severe drought. Most of the county has slipped into extreme drought — the second-worst category before exceptional drought hits. Things have gotten worse since earlier this month. Precipitation remains minimal.

The state has battled mounting dry spells since fall. A lack of tropical rainfall and a dry winter pattern drove the problem, leaving streams, soil moisture, and reservoirs below where they should be. Charlotte hasn't seen drought this bad since August 2008, said Patrick Moore, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg.

"There is no indication, climatologically, that we'll be able to really work off a lot of a deficit. But that being said, there's no indication that the drought is going to get any worse," Moore said, according to The Charlotte Observer of the 90-day forecast. "When we're in this bad of a drought, you know, it can't really get a whole lot worse."

A weather system expected this weekend could bring some rain. The highest chances arrive Saturday. Totals won't be much — around a quarter of an inch in many places. Another system moving through early next week could bring more widespread rainfall, with some areas seeing around an inch or more.

Moore said it'd take about 13.6 inches of rain over a month for the region to return to normal. The 90-day forecast shows near-normal precipitation in the coming months. That's not enough to reduce the deficit, but it's also a sign conditions won't get worse.

Officials in Mecklenburg County are asking residents to cut back on nonessential water use. This includes limiting outdoor watering and avoiding activities like washing hard surfaces or running half-full loads of laundry. Charlotte Water has asked customers to cut usage by about 3% to 5%. This helps protect the supply and avoid stricter measures if the drought worsens.

A statewide burn ban remains in effect. All open burning is prohibited until further notice because of heightened wildfire risk. Residents shouldn't do any type of outdoor burning since wildfires can spread fast in dry conditions.

Concord is encouraging residents to shorten showers, fix leaks, and limit outdoor watering. Union County has moved into Stage 1 of its water conservation plan, and is urging customers to reduce usage and prepare for tighter restrictions. In Gaston County, the municipal utility is asking residents to cut water use as part of a basin-wide drought response.