BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Extreme drought has spread across Blount County as well as parts of Jefferson and Walker counties, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor.

Extreme is the second most intense of the four drought levels - exceptional, extreme, severe and moderate. 75 percent of Alabama was listed in yesterday's (Thursday) report as having some level of drought.

The Birmingham-metro area became abnormally dry on February 13th and reached the level of moderate drought by March 13th.

Conditions for the Birmingham area and north Alabama have since worsened. From January through Wednesday, Birmingham had only a
little more than 7 inches of rain - almost 12 inches below normal.

January through March was the city's second-driest in 112 years. Lake Purdy and another Water Works reservoir have dropped below full-pool level this spring.

Two weeks ago, the Birmingham Water Works issued a Stage One drought advisory calling for voluntary reduction of water.

The National Weather Service said weather models predict one-to-one and a half inches of rain sometime from Tuesday through
Thursday.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)