AUBURN UNIVERSITY — 2024 has been a dry year in Alabama. Yards and row crop fields alike are suffering from persistent drought conditions. Even with rainfall from recent hurricanes, fields and pastures are dry. While the clear and dry weather is ideal for crop harvest, the lack of rainfall in September and October impacts other aspects of the industry.

Brianne Minton, the drought outreach program coordinator with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said in early June, the United States Drought Monitor map showed 1.37% of the state in D0, which is abnormal dryness.

"In early September, 100% of the state was dry, and every single county was experiencing some level of drought," Minton said. "October is historically the driest month in Alabama, so dry conditions are to be expected. We had a relatively dry summer, which has led to prolonged drought conditions in many areas."

MOISTURE SITUATION

Lee Ellenburg, Alabama's associate state climatologist, said with the dry conditions going back and forth, it feels like whiplash.

"It is interesting to note that between June 4 and Sept. 10, some areas in north Alabama went from no dryness (above average rainfall in May), to D2 or D3 levels by mid-July," Ellenburg said. "This was after, in some cases, no measurable rainfall for three weeks. Then, Alabama received a month's worth of rainfall in just a week, which wiped the slate clean of D2, then D3 was reintroduced in north Alabama."

Ellenburg said the dry weather in June was particularly troubling, as it is a critical time for moisture in corn.

"On the whole, this is not necessarily unprecedented," Ellenburg said. "Alabama summers are notoriously full of haves and have-nots when it comes to rain. Most of our summer rainfall comes in the form of thunderstorms. I know many farmers have watched the radar, only to see the rain just miss their property. Two or three 'just misses' and you can be in drought in Alabama."

The statewide average rainfall for August 2024 was 1.29 inches, the driest on record since 1895.

"Montgomery saw their driest August in over 150 years of records," Ellenburg said. "Combined, this double whammy has been extra hard on our farmers."

Rainfall in September and October is largely dependent on the activity in the tropics. Forecasts are difficult, but Ellenburg and his counterparts look at broader trends to make predictions.

"Models are predicting near normal conditions for the next few months," Ellenburg said. "With that said, expect this to vary across the state. It is never comforting to enter October in a rainfall deficit."

Minton said one of the greatest agricultural impacts is to livestock producers who are now feeding supplemental hay months earlier than expected.

"An already dry summer meant hay and pastures were not growing at the desired rate," Minton said. "Recent rain from Hurricanes Francine and Helene have increased pasture health, but the relief is too little too late."

EFFECTS OF DROUGHT

Eighty-seven percent of the state is either abnormally dry or in moderate drought, according to the most recent release from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Common impacts in these conditions may include the following:

• Agricultural creeks and ponds begin to decline.
• Forage crops and pastures are stressed.
• Producers feed livestock early.
• Ground is hard.

Ellenburg said the good thing about this region of the country is that it will rain eventually.

"Even Alabama's normal amounts are greater than most regions around the country," Ellenburg said. "The unfortunate thing for many crops is that it is hard to recover once the damage is done. However, during October, dry conditions are needed for harvesting. Even during past fall droughts, there was always a positive side as farmers were able to maximize field days for harvest."

ALABAMA DROUGHT REACH

The Alabama Drought Reach program's focus includes communicating drought conditions with the public and collecting impact data to share with stakeholders.

"I encourage everyone to stay up to date on current drought conditions, either through our website and drought newsletter or by checking out the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map on their website," Minton said. "Our drought newsletter is the most comprehensive way to stay up to date."

Minton sends weekly drought updates when the state is actively in drought. She also encourages stakeholders to report drought conditions on their property with Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR).

"This is a public survey created by the National Drought Mitigation Center that allows anyone to report drought impacts," Minton said. "The Alabama State Climate Office actively uses these reports to provide feedback on the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map of Alabama. Report now and report often."

The Alabama Drought Reach program is a collaboration between the Auburn University Water Resources Center and the Alabama Office of the State Climatologist, with support from Alabama Extension and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information on Alabama's current conditions, follow Alabama Drought Reach on Facebook and sign up for their newsletter. Visit www.aces.edu for more resources.