By Pam Knox
The latest Drought Monitor released this morning shows no changes in the drought status across the Southeast from last week’s map. It’s not unusual after a big rain event followed by a dry week for the DM authors to take time to catch their breath, work on other areas of the country, and wait to see what happens before they make further changes. Temperatures well above normal are increasing evaporation and has started the growth of plants that are usually dormant this time of year, which increases demands on water, but it is just the beginning of February so there is much more to come before the next growing season officially gets underway.