After the rain: County inches clear of drought conditions for first time this year

Benjamin Bullard, The Cullman Times, Ala.
·2 min read

Feb. 20—A little rainfall hits the spot — especially for local cattle and crop farmers eyeing the calendar (and the weather).

After starting off this year in the depths of soil-parched conditions the U.S. Drought Monitor classifies as "severe" or "extreme" (a step beyond "severe"), about one-third of Cullman County has at last lapsed entirely out of drought conditions altogether.

As for the remaining two-thirds, it joins all of Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan, Marshall and DeKalb counties to the north, as well as portions of other north Alabama counties, as lingering within the service's "D0 — Abnormally Dry" category — which is only a step from being drought-free altogether.

The latest local figures from the U.S. Drought Monitor were published on Feb. 15, only two days after the curtailing of a saturating rainfall that dumped more than 2 inches of precipitation over most of Cullman County last week. Since then, another quarter-inch of rain has fallen over much of the area, though it'll be Thursday of this week before the service issues its newest weekly drought assessment, which could revise Cullman County's improving drought status.

In mid-February, a reprieve from drought conditions is most likely to affect livestock producers, said Kira Sims, the Cullman County Extension coordinator for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

"They're the folks who would find that information the most imperative right now," she explained. "Your row crop guys aren't going to really look to start planting until later next month, though any rain we get that accumulates soil moisture between then and now definitely will be helpful.

"Another big concern of theirs, if you flip the idea of a drought, is whether it's going to be raining a lot when planting time comes. It's the opposite of a drought, but that could delay them from being able to get their crops in the ground."

The U.S. Drought Monitor describes the location and intensity of drought conditions nationwide using five classifications, ranging from "abnormally dry" (D0) at the lowest end and "exceptional" (D4) at its most severe. View the latest drought information online at droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ and selecting your region of interest from the interactive map.

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.