Recent Rains Put Dent in Yearly Deficit

It seems like yesterday we were quite concerned about a possible long-term drought. Rain totals were running close to a half-foot below normal for the year, and Red Flag Warnings were becoming routine. Lawns were "burning out" in mid April, and we needed rain desperately. Thankfully, Mother Nature responded this month with nearly four inches of rain, bringing the yearly total to over a foot (12.41"), closing the gap to just three-and-a-half inches below normal (15.90").

The weather pattern changed drastically during the latter part of April. A heavy rainstorm on April 22 and 23 brought over two-and-a-half inches (2.55") of rain to the region, bringing the monthly total to just under three inches (2.97"). Although measured rain happened just once the remainder of the month, it seemed we finally turned the corner, even though the April rain gauge was still more than an inch below normal (4.13").

You may recall that March was one of the driest on record. Just over one inch (1.04") of rain fell during what is normally the wettest month of the year. That's more than three inches below the normal average of 4.05" and slightly more than the driest March on record when just 0.69" fell in 1981. Nearly a foot of rain fell two years ago in March of 2010.

There were only nine days with measured rain in March, including the first three days of the month (0.48" combined) and three of the last seven days of the month (0.38" combined). The longest dry spell happened from March 17 through March 24 (eight days) when only a trace of precipitation was recorded. The wettest day of the month was March 3 when over a quarter-inch (0.27") was recorded.

The weather picture in May has been quite wet. In fact, 10 of the first 16 days this month have produced measured rain. The wettest day this month was this past Tuesday when 1.07" fell, establishing a new record for the date. Three other days featured more than a half-inch of rain, and one day saw over a third of an inch. As of today, the total for the month (3.84") is more than two inches above normal (1.83"). The lawns and gardens have responded beautifully.

Another pattern is beginning to establish itself, too. Recently, we've enjoyed fine weekend weather while the rain falls during the week. Yes, that pattern will continue through the upcoming weekend and into next week. High pressure should bring plenty of sunshine and milder temperatures Saturday and Sunday while, at the same time, keep a storm system offshore. However, moisture from that storm will more than likely "back up" and spread showers and thunderstorms into the Northeast Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Paul