goTriad.com

RALEIGH (AP) — Tropical Storm Fay may not provide immediate drought relief for North Carolina, but a forecaster said Tuesday rain still could fall, although it might be next week.

National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Outlaw said weather watchers need to be patient because the storm track is uncertain. Outlaw said one forecast track shows the storm moving over Memphis, Tenn., in a week. Another forecast shows it over central South Carolina.

A high pressure weather system blocked Fay's movement and was expected to hold the storm over Florida and Georgia this week.

"At this point, it looks like a big disappointment or at the very least the rainfall would be delayed for several days," Outlaw said. "There's such a wide range of possiblilities we're just going to have to wait.

"There's some hope as long as it doesn't rain itself out down there."

North Carolina farmers also hoped for a soaking rain to boost tobacco and soybean crops.

Forsyth County farm agent Tim Hamrick told WSJS-AM in Winston-Salem that some farmers still were recovering from last year's poor yields.

Hamrick said farmers especially need rain to help pasture grasses grow for livestock. He said animals are what grass there was last year down to the soil.

The latest National Weather Service forecast for the Triad does not call for rain before Friday, but then it's only a 30 percent chance. There's also a 30 percent chance of rain for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.