Iredell County and parts of Catawba County and McDowell County are now in moderate drought, according to the latest drought monitor from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

An abnormally dry month of June combined with high temperatures to start the month of July has led to worsening drought conditions across North Carolina.

The national drought monitor was updated for public release on Thursday. It shows a continuing drought for North Carolina and surrounding states. For the first time during this dry episode, parts of the Foothills and Western Piedmont has been placed in a stage two moderate drought, according to data from the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Sixty-nine counties, including all of Iredell and portions of eastern Catawba and western McDowell counties were added to the moderate drought category with the July 4 update, according to the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council.

Burke County remains in the first stage of drought or abnormally dry.

The council advised the public to minimize non-essential use of water, according to a news release from the council.

Wildfires have popped up in the drought. A wildfire of at least 60 acres was reported along Burkemont Mountain, south of Morganton, and was still active as of Friday afternoon.

“We are not under a burn ban at this time but it is extremely dry, drier than usual at this time of year, so I would recommend that all residents refrain from burning,” said North Carolina Forest Service District Two Ranger Ethan Matherly.

There was less rain than normal in June according to the National Weather Service. That and above-normal temperatures since May have resulted in a quick onset of drought conditions, said Justin Lane, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg.

The Foothills got about half the rain normally seen in June, Lane said.

"Some locations north of Interstate 40 were in the 20-to-30% range of what is average for June,” Lane said “It’s been a dry stretch for those areas and with the summer heat the ground has dried quickly.”

Hickory Regional Airport measured 1.18 inches of rain in June, compared to the June average of 4.35 inches. The Statesville (0.94 in.) and Morganton (0.91) COOP stations also finished more than three inches down for the month.

The largest drop is in Marion. There were 1.37 inches of rain recorded in Marion. That section of McDowell County averages 5.47 inches in the month of June, according to National Weather Service data.

So far in the month of July, rain has been sparse. Lane said rain chances should increase starting this weekend and may continue through the first half of next week.

“Our normal storm chances are in the 30% range this time of the year but starting this weekend those will be more elevated, in the 60 to 70% chance along I-40,” Lane said. “Daily storm chances should remain higher before tailing back off to normal by the end of next week."

Temperatures in western North Carolina, which average in the mid-to-upper 80s in July, will remain at or above normal through the next week, according to National Weather Service forecasts.