Curtis Tate Published

Drought Creeps Back Statewide, In Some Cases Severe

A man in a blue, collared shirt and straw hat sits on a green cart and gestures toward a field of plants growing low to the ground. The earth looks slightly dry, and lines of small, black tubes run alongside the crops.
Even during dry spells, farmer Bob Tabb says water lines stretching across his farm keep the soil hydrated and help crops grow to their full potential.
Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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Drought has returned to parts of the state.

East central West Virginia and the Northern Panhandle are in severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The rest of the state is either in moderate drought or is abnormally dry.

Those conditions are expected to persist for the next several days. Above-normal temperatures are expected in the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley, according to the Drought Monitor.

A year ago, most of the state experienced extreme drought, with some of west central West Virginia in exceptional drought, the highest category.

Hurricane Helene brought some relief to southern West Virginia, but conditions in other regions didn’t improve until winter. The state’s wildfire season begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Dec. 31.

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