North Carolina Farmers Battle Drought Conditions as Winter Nears

ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Farmers across central North Carolina are facing mounting challenges as a late-season drought takes hold ahead of winter, leaving fields parched and crops struggling to survive. In Alamance County, where the effects are being felt most sharply, longtime growers say the shift from steady summer rain to dry autumn air has taken a major toll.

After months of consistent rainfall earlier in the year, the skies over central North Carolina turned quiet in late August, cutting off the water supply many fall crops depend on. The result: shrinking yields, brittle soil, and anxious farmers watching weather forecasts that offer little relief.

Crops Struggling in the Fall Dry Spell

“Anybody that’s growing something that needs rain in the fall… the crops have suffered,” said Mike Ross, a veteran farmer and beekeeper who has worked the same land since childhood.

Ross said this year’s timing couldn’t have been worse. His tomatoes and seed crops have withered, and even his newly planted clover, meant to feed honeybees in the spring, is struggling to sprout.

“If you get too much rain sometimes all the roots will be up on top and then when it cuts off like it did this year, it’s hard for it to survive,” Ross explained. “But all I want on this is for it to get a little bit bigger so it can survive the winter.”

With soil moisture at critically low levels, farmers like Ross are hoping for a shift in weather patterns that could bring even a modest rainfall before temperatures drop further.

City Crews Shift Focus from Drought to Snow Prep

While farmers are desperate for rain, city officials in Greensboro are preparing for a completely different challenge — snow and ice. Public works teams have begun their annual winter operations training, running plows through obstacle courses to prepare for potential snow events.

“Today we’re out here doing our annual snow and ice training,” said Nathaniel Moore, Deputy Transportation Director for the City of Greensboro. “Earlier in the week we had our classroom instruction and safety training, and today is that real-world training of employees in trucks simulating what it looks like to be out there on the road during an event.”

Even though heavy snow is not guaranteed in North Carolina each year, officials say readiness is key to preventing chaos when storms do hit.

“We want to be proactive in our training activities,” Moore said. “We get out here to knock the dust off our employees and make sure they’re ready to go before we get into an event.”

Preparing for an Unpredictable Winter

North Carolina’s unpredictable weather patterns mean farmers and city crews alike must prepare for extreme swings. In the same week that farmers are praying for rain, plow operators are testing their readiness for snow.

Experts say it’s this balance — between drought resilience and winter preparedness — that defines much of the state’s agricultural and infrastructure planning.

For Ross and others, the hope is simple: that enough moisture returns to keep their crops alive through the winter months.

Residents and local growers are encouraged to share how the ongoing dry spell is affecting their communities at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.