Alabama has dried out a little more in the past week, and drought conditions are expanding in the state.

And it will continue to be dry enough that the National Weather Service is warning of critical wildfire conditions in parts of the state this weekend.

The U.S. Drought Monitor released its weekly look at drought conditions nationwide, and it showed worsening conditions across much of Alabama.

Parts of southwest Alabama remain in the driest and are in extreme drought, or level 3 out of 4. Areas in extreme drought expanded from 2.30 percent last week to 6.14 percent this week, according to the Drought Monitor.

Areas in extreme drought include parts of Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, Conecuh and Monroe counties.

More of Alabama this week is also in severe drought, or level 2 out of 4. Areas in severe drought grew from 16.04 percent last week to 17.78 percent this week, according to the report.

Areas in severe drought were also in southwest Alabama.

The report said 73.90 percent of the state is now in moderate drought, or level 1. That’s a big jump — an increase from 30.60 percent last week.

And nearly all the rest of the state, or 96.43 percent, is abnormally dry or on the edge of going into drought.

The only near-normal areas this week (as far as soil moisture goes, that is) are in east-central Alabama.

The dry conditions will also bring critical fire conditions to parts of south and west Alabama.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning that will be in effect from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday for Choctaw, Washington, Clarke, Wilcox, Monroe, Conecuh, Butler, Crenshaw, Escambia, Covington, Mobile, Baldwin, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Marengo, Dallas, Autauga, Lowndes, Elmore, Montgomery, Macon, Bullock, Lee, Russell, Pike and Barbour counties.

The weather service said a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

Is there any relief in sight? Just a little, according to the National Weather Service.

Parts of Alabama will have their highest rain chances of the week tonight into Friday. However, the rain is not expected to add up to much.

The next seven days continue could bring a little more rain to Alabama than this week. Here’s the seven-day precipitation outlook from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center:

It shows areas along the coast could see an inch or two in the next week. Areas to the north will likely see less rain, but most of Alabama is expected to at least see a little precipitation in the next seven days.