‘Exceptional’ drought conditions persist in parts of West Virginia despite weekend storms

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Despite recent rainfall that struck West Virginia over the past weekend and knocked out power for thousands, data from the U.S. Drought Monitor says that parts of the state are still suffering from “exceptional” drought conditions (D4).

The area experiencing D4 conditions did not change over the past week and still covers 5.8% of the state. However, the area of “extreme” drought conditions (D3) encompassing the state grew from 35.7% of the state to 43.5%, overtaking areas like southern Preston County and expanding south into Greenbrier and Nicholas counties.

The expansion of these drought boundaries comes after a week where much of the state received only 1-2 inches of rain. On top of that, many areas also experienced an average high temperature between 90 and 100 degrees during that same period.

Overall, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports that drought conditions are expected to persist in most of northern West Virginia over the next month while conditions in the southern half of the state are expected to improve or end. Similar developments are also expected over the next three months as per the seasonal drought outlook.

Gov. Justice recently extended the statewide State of Emergency through Sept. 23 due to the drought conditions citing its impact on local agriculture.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.