000 FGUS74 KOHX 161957 ESFOHX TNC003-005-015-021-027-031-035-037-041-043-049-055-061-081-083-085- 087-099-101-111-117-119-125-133-135-137-141-147-149-159-161-165-169- 175-177-181-185-187-189-231800- HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 157 PM CST FRI DEC 16 2005 ...WATER RESOURCE CONDITIONS IMPROVE WITH THE RECENT RAIN... THE LATEST U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR INDICATES A LARGE PART OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE IS EXPERIENCING A MODERATE DROUGHT. THE DROUGHT AREA EXTENDS OVER ALL OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE EXCEPT THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE WHERE CONDITIONS ARE CONSIDERED ABNORMALLY DRY. RAINFALL DEFICITS... RECENT RAIN HAS HELPED TO BRING RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE MONTH TO NEAR NORMAL. LONG TERM DEFICITS CONTINUE DUE TO THE ABNORMALLY DRY PERIOD THROUGH SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, AND NOVEMBER. MANY AREAS ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE ARE BETWEEN 8 AND 10 INCHES BELOW NORMAL FOR THE YEAR. WATER RESOURCES... WATER LEVELS ON LOCAL RIVERS AND STREAMS ROSE AS A RESULT OF RUNOFF FROM THIS WEEK'S RAIN. THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, WATER RESOURCES CONDITIONS, SHOWS MOST AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE NOW UP IN THE 75% TO 90% OF NORMAL FLOW CATEGORY. AT THIS TIME THERE ARE NO KNOWN WATER USAGE RESTRICTIONS IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. FIRE DANGER... THE RECENT RAIN HAS HELPED TO KEEP LEAF LITTER AND DEBRIS ON THE GROUND MOIST WHICH IN TURN HELPS TO REDUCE THE THREAT OF WILD LAND FIRES. THIS TIME OF YEAR, SMALL FUELS CAN AND DO DRY QUICKLY THEREFORE, STATE ISSUED OUTDOOR BURN PERMITS ARE STILL REQUIRED. 7-DAY FORECAST... A COOL AND DRY AIRMASS HAS SETTLED OVER THE REGION AND WILL REMAIN THROUGH THE REST OF THE 7-DAY FORECAST PERIOD. 8-14 DAY OUTLOOK FOR DECEMBER 23 THROUGH 29... THE OUTLOOK CALLS FOR BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER WEATHER AND DROUGHT INFORMATION (ADDRESSES SHOULD BE IN LOWER CASE)... NOAA DROUGHT INFORMATION CENTER... HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.NOAA.GOV CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER... HTTP://WWW.CPC.NOAA.GOV PRECIPITATION ANALYSIS... HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/RFCSHARE/PRECIP_ANALYSIS_NEW.PHP NASHVILLE WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE HOMEPAGE... HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/OHX $$ 05