Conditions here are severely dry.  We are well behind the 30-year average and only about 0.12 inches of rain for April.  NC is under a State-wide drought alert and open fires ban. Trees are nearly all leafed out and some gardens are beginning to bloom. Pollen is "medium to bad" for this observer.  Residence yards have splotchy dry areas in lawns.  "Normal" rainfall is low and drought conditions have persisted through about 4 months now.  March 2026 rainfall totals were reported the second lowest in roughly the last 150 years.