Drought Update for November 3, 2026
This Week's U.S. Drought Monitor Map of Alabama
Statewide Condition Summary
What's Changed? Drought conditions improved across parts of North Alabama, while the rest of the state remained largely unchanged. Extreme Drought (D3) in Lauderdale and Limestone counties was reduced to Severe Drought (D2), and D2 improved to Moderate Drought (D1) across several neighboring counties.
What's New? 2+ inches of rain fell across parts of Northeast Alabama over the weekend, instigating a one-category improvement for some counties on the U.S. Drought Monitor. The rest of the state remains status quo from last week, and more rain is needed to see widespread improvements.
What's Next? With scattered rain in the forecast, expect conditions to either remain the same or improve slightly in areas that receive meaningful rainfall.
Statewide Coverage by Category
| Category | Coverage This Week | Changes Since Last Week |
|---|---|---|
| D0: Abnormally Dry | 37.84% | 0.96% |
| D1: Moderate Drought | 23.55% | 3.87% |
| D2: Severe Drought | 10.22% | 3.00% |
| D3: Extreme Drought | 0.41% | 1.11% |
| D4: Exceptional Drought | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Source: US Drought Monitor, authored by Brad Pugh (CPC/NOAA) with input from the Alabama Office of the State Climatologist
Approximately 72% of Alabama is experiencing Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions or some level of drought, including 24% in Moderate Drought (D1), 10% in Severe Drought (D2), and less than 1% in Extreme Drought (D3). This week brought some improvement in drought severity, with areas classified as Severe and Extreme Drought decreasing across the state. More areas have shifted into the less severe D0 and D1 categories, although drought conditions remain widespread. Scattered rainfall in the coming week could bring additional improvements to areas that receive meaningful amounts, but continued rainfall will be needed to address the precipitation deficits that remain across Alabama.
Download the Alabama Drought Update Graphic
Alabama Drought in the News
- Some Parts of Alabama are Finally Drought-Free Leigh Morgan with AL.com| June 2, 2026
Drought Resources
- Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs: Office of Water Resources
- Alabama Drought Reach: Auburn University Water Resources Center
- U.S. Drought Monitor for Alabama
- Alabama Drought.gov page
- NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)
- NIDIS Southeast Drought Early Warning System (DEWS)
- Report drought conditions with CMOR
- Report daily rainfall with CoCoRaHS
- Assessing drought in the United States