WFO RAH Text Data Data updated Fri Mar 31 13:07:23 GMT 2006 |
FGUS72 KRAH 311306 ESFRAH NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088>089-011800- HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NORTH CAROLINA 800 AM EST MAR 31 2006 ...DROUGHT/WATER RESOURCE STATEMENT... ...THIS STATEMENT PERTAINS TO THE RALEIGH HYDROLOGIC SERVICE AREA WHICH IS LOCATED IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA... ...WORSENING DROUGHT CONDITIONS OVER CENTRAL NC... DRIER THAN NORMAL JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH 2006 CAUSED THE DROUGHT TO INTENSIFY. ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR ISSUE ON MARCH 30TH...MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT COVERS MOST PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PIEDMONT REGIONS... OTHER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA ARE ABNORMALLY DRY. TO VIEW THE SCOPE AND SEVERITY OF THE DROUGHT...LOG ON TO WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/ CLICK ON DROUGHT MONITOR. THE SITE IS UPDATED EVERY THURSDAY MORNING. SHOWN BELOW ARE MONTHLY RAINFALL DATA RECORDED AT THE RALEIGH-DURHAM AND THE PIEDMONT-TRIAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS. ALSO SHOWN ARE RECENT RESERVOIR WATER ELEVATIONS AND THEIR DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL POOLS AND THE OUTLOOK FOR PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE FOR THE COMING MONTHS. A. PAST RAINFALL RALEIGH-DURHAM AP PIEDMONT-TRIAD AP ACTUAL NORMAL DEPART ACTUAL NORMAL DEPART OCT. 2005 2.06 3.18 -1.12 2.92 3.27 -0.35 NOV. 2005 3.72 2.97 +0.75 3.63 2.96 +0.67 DEC. 2005 4.24 3.04 +1.20 4.08 3.06 +1.02 JAN. 2006 2.07 4.02 -1.95 2.38 3.54 -1.16 FEB. 2006 1.65 3.47 -1.82 1.54 3.10 -1.56 MAR. 2006 1.25 4.03 -2.78 0.95 3.85 -2.90 TOTAL 14.99 20.71 -5.72 15.50 19.78 -4.28 DEPARTURE = -27.6 % -21.6 % FROM NORMAL B. RESERVOIRS DAM 03/30 WATER ELEV. NORMAL DEPARTURE NEUSE FALLS 250.70 FT 251.5 FT -0.80 FT JORDAN 216.95 216.0 FT +0.95 ALTHOUGH RESERVOIR LEVELS ABOVE ARE NEAR NORMAL AT THIS TIME, INFLOWS ARE ALARMINGLY MUCH LOWER THAN NORMAL. FOR EXAMPLE... ACCORDING TO THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, NORMAL APRIL INFLOW TO THE NEUSE FALLS LAKE IS 1300 CFS - CURRENT INFLOW IS ONLY 119 CFS, WHICH IS AN ALL TIME RECORD LOW OVER THE PAST 76 YEARS. AT B. EVERETT JORDAN LAKE, THE NORMAL APRIL INFLOW IS 2500 CFS; THE CURRENT INFLOW IS ONLY 430 CFS, WHICH IS ALSO AN ALL TIME LOW OVER THE PAST 76 YEARS. C. STREAM DISCHARGES ACCORDING THE THE U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, STREAM FLOWS IN THE PIEDMONT REGIONS HAVE DROPPED TO 25 TO 30 PERCENT OF NORMAL OVER THE PAST MONTH; CURRENT LEVELS ARE EXPERIENCED EVERY 25 TO 50 YEARS. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF STREAM DISCHARGES COMPARED TO LONG TERM MEDIANS. 3/30 DISCHARGE LONG TERM MEDIAN TAR TIVER AT ROCKY MOUNT 253 CFS 1235 CFS FLAT RIVER AT BAHAMA 26 113 HAW RIVER AT BYNUM 353 1310 BLACK RIVER AT TOMAHAWK 336 1190 D. PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK LACK OF LARGE RAINFALL PRODUCING SYSTEMS AND MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO INDICATE CONTINUED DRIER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS OVER OUR AREA DURING THE NEXT THREE MONTHS. IN THAT TIME THE DROUGHT WILL LIKELY SPREAD FURTHER. SO THAT WATER SUPPLIES LAST LONGER...EVERYONE IS URGED TO CONSERVE. AFL