Drought Information Statement for Southwest Alabama, Southwest Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend
Valid November 22, 2024
Issued By: National Weather Service Tallahassee
Contact Information: kelly.godsey@noaa.gov & cameron.young@noaa.gov 
This product will be updated December 6, 2024 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/tae/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 
Severe drought now across parts of the Tri-State area
Recent warm and dry conditions have led to rapid deterioration of drought conditions.
However, rainfall will help alleviate these drought concerns some.


U.S. Drought Monitor
Image Caption: U.S. Drought Monitor valid November 19, 2024.
Severe drought has developed across the Tri-State area due to recent warmth and dryness.
Keep in mind that rainfall that fell after 7 AM ET Tuesday is not accounted for in this week’s drought monitor.

Drought intensity and Extent
D2 (Severe Drought): across southeast AL, far southwest GA, and the inland FL Panhandle and western Big Bend
D1 (Moderate Drought): elsewhere in southeast AL, southwest GA, and the FL Panhandle and western Big Bend
D0 (Abnormally Dry): eastern Big Bend

Recent Change in Drought Intensity
One Week Drought Monitor Class Change:
Drought Worsened: across the Tri-State area
Drought Improved: far northwestern Walton County
No Change: the rest of the area
Image Caption: U.S. Drought Monitor 1-week change map valid November 19, 2024. 

Precipitation
Image Captions: 
Left - 30-Day Percent of Normal Precipitation for the Southeast US
Right - 90-Day Percent of Normal Precipitation for the Southeast US
Data Courtesy NWS Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor System. 
Data over the past 30 and 90 days ending November 21, 2024
Last 30 Days Rainfall and Percent of Normal
DeFuniak Springs*
4.00”
116.3%
Geneva
3.33”
76.0%
Panama City-ECP
3.35”
84.4%
Dothan
2.87”
81.5%
Marianna
1.95”
56.4%
Apalachicola
2.49”
67.8%
Georgetown**
1.79”
59.6%
Dawson**
1.60”
54.1%
Newton, GA**
1.38”
54.1%
Albany
1.78”
65.3%
Quincy*
3.30”
90.2%
Tallahassee
2.73”
87.8%
Moultrie**
5.09”
199.6%
Monticello*
4.88”
167.5%
Alapaha**
3.58”
148.6%
Perry***
0.92”
38.8%
Mayo*
0.81”
24.2%

Last 45 Days
Rainfall
Percent
DeFuniak Springs*
4.00”
81.1%
Geneva
3.63”
59.4%
Panama City-ECP
3.35”
59.0%
Dothan
2.87”
59.5%
Marianna
1.95”
39.5%
Apalachicola
2.55”
47.0%
Georgetown**
1.79”
43.1%
Dawson**
1.60”
39.2%
Newton, GA**
1.38”
36.1%
Albany
1.78”
46.4%
Quincy*
3.30”
59.4%
Tallahassee
2.73”
58.4%
Moultrie**
5.10”
138.0%
Monticello*
4.94”
109.4%
Alapaha**
3.58”
102.1%
Perry***
1.33”
35.4%
Mayo*
1.39”
28.8%
Note: Precipitation after 7 AM EST/6 AM CST Tuesday is incorporated in next week’s Drought Monitor 
Data Courtesy:
*University of Florida - Florida Automated Weather Network
**University of Georgia Weather Network
***Suwannee River Water Management District


Temperature
It has been extremely warm the last 30 days, especially at night.

Image Captions: 
Left - 7-Day Departure from Normal High Temperatures for the Southeast US
Right - 30-Day Departure from Normal High Temperature for the Southeast US
Data ending November 21, 2024
Last 30 Days
Average High (Departure)
Average Low (Departure)
Tallahassee
83.8° (+8.5°)
62.0° (+11.3°)
Apalachicola
80.9° (+5.8°)
65.1° (+10.7°)
Albany
81.0° (+6.9°)
59.4° (+10.3°)
Valdosta
83.7° (+9.6°)
62.4° (+13.1°)
Marianna
82.4° (+7.8°)
60.5° (+10.5°)
Dothan
80.5° (+6.4°)
60.0° (+10.8°) 

Summary of Impacts
Hydrologic Impacts 
Rivers are typically low this time of year, but some parts of the Pea, Choctawhatchee, Chattahoochee, and Apalachicola systems are running below normal. Recent rains have helped.

Agricultural Impacts
Alabama: none reported last 7 days
Florida: none reported last 7 days
Georgia: none reported last 7 days

Fire Hazard Impacts
Keetch-Byram Drought Index values over 400 for southeast AL, southwest GA, and far western FL Panhandle.

Other Impacts
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Office of Water Resources (ADECA OWR) has declared a Drought Watch for Drought Region 8, which includes Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston Counties. ADECA’s latest Drought Declaration can be found here.

Mitigation Actions
Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information.

Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts
Streamflows from the ACF Basin westward are generally running near or below normal over the last 28 days.
Climatologically speaking, this is the time of year when rivers are generally at their lowest.
Image Caption: USGS 28 day average streamflow map valid November 15, 2024

Agricultural Impacts
Soils remain quite dry along and west of the Flint River
Soils have been drying across the majority of our area, though the rain earlier this week has helped moisten soils.
Image Captions: 
Left: 0-200 cm Relative Soil Moisture from NASA SPoRT valid November 22, 2024
Right: 0-200 cm Relative Soil Moisture 2-week Change from NASA SPoRT valid through November 22, 2024

Fire Hazard Impacts
Keetch-Byram Drought Index values remain at or above 400 in the Tri-State area, which has been helped by recent rainfall
The outlook for December into much of the winter calls for above normal wildfire potential across southeast Alabama, southwest Georgia, and north Florida.

Image Captions: 
Left - Keetch-Byram Drought Index valid November 21, 2024 (Wildland Fire Assessment System)
Right - Significant Wildland Fire Potential for December 2024 (National Interagency Coordination Center)
7-Day Significant Fire Potential Outlook from the Southern Area Coordination Center

Seven Day Precipitation Forecast
Little to no additional rainfall is forecast through Thanksgiving Day.
Another cold front may move through the area late next week, bringing another chance for rain.

Image Caption: Weather Prediction Center 7-day precipitation forecast valid Thursday, November 21 through Thursday, November 28

Long-Range Outlooks
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
The next 3 months favor above normal temperatures and below average precipitation

December Average Temperature & Rainfall
Tallahassee
54.4°
4.24”
Apalachicola
56.5°
3.59”
Albany
52.7°
4.35”
Valdosta
53.2°
3.12”
Marianna
53.9°
4.81”
Dothan
53.1°
4.76”

January
Tallahassee
52.2°
4.41”
Apalachicola
54.0°
4.06”
Albany
50.5°
4.19”
Valdosta
50.7°
3.83”
Marianna
51.8°
4.04”
Dothan
50.8°
4.76”

February
Tallahassee
55.6°
4.28”
Apalachicola
56.8°
4.17”
Albany
54.0°
4.01”
Valdosta
54.6°
3.73”
Marianna
54.6°
4.72”
Dothan
55.4°
4.49”

Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Drought is likely to persist across the western half of the area and develop over the southeastern Big Bend through the winter.
Image Caption: 
Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook Released November 21 valid for November 21, 2024 through February 28, 2025