WASHINGTON — The latest U.S. drought map shows most of the Mid-Atlantic Region is experiencing “abnormally dry” conditions, with Washington, D.C. being a part of a smaller area that's experiencing even more significant “moderate drought” conditions.
Our late April and early May rains have put a big dent in the drought. (Image below: 5_4_23)
These conditions are the direct result of an extended period of unusually dry weather in Washington, D.C.
Since last August, seven of the last eight months have been drier than average in D.C.
December 2022 was D.C.’s only wetter than average month over the last eight months.
Consequently, the rainfall deficit at National Airport has swelled to 7.86 inches for the period of Aug. 1, 2022 to April 18, 2023. The D.C. metro area has also seen a rainfall deficit of between 3 and 5 inches since January. This deficit will only continue to grow without any rain in the forecast for Washington, D.C. until this weekend, according to the WUSA9 weather team.
Friday's rainfall did help our deficit considerably.
NOAA’s precipitation outlook over the next two weeks calls for near average rainfall in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Average rainfall is ordinarily a good thing. However, with worsening drought conditions and a growing rainfall deficit, merely average rainfall isn’t enough. Unless D.C. has a wetter than average May, drought conditions will continue to expand into the summer months.
It would take above average rainfall over a long period of time to make up enough of the rainfall deficit to alleviate the drought conditions. The good news is, according to NOAA, D.C.’s three wettest months of the year on average are May, June and July.
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