The rain that fell across the D.C. region over the past week may have upended some Memorial Day weekend plans, but it also provided some much-needed relief for the area’s worsening drought conditions.
Roughly 2 to 5 inches of rain fell in the seven days through Memorial Day, according to the National Weather Service in Sterling, Virginia.
“And it’s occurred across the entire area, which is good,” NWS meteorologist Brian LaSorsa said.
The entire area was also in a severe drought as of May 19, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with 31% of the region meeting that classification in April. The monitor is updated weekly by federal agency and research partners.
Because of the recent rain, LaSorsa said the next update on Thursday should show improvement, with some parts of the area returning to a moderate drought classification.
“This wasn’t enough to break the drought, but it does help a little bit,” LaSorsa said.
The rainfall average at Reagan National Airport, going back to May last year, is about 10 inches below normal.
“We’d have to have several more events like this, and of course, if you get a tropical system or something like that, that could break the drought as well,” he said.
But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
LaSorsa said the past week’s rain was especially beneficial because it generally fell at a slower rate, allowing the moisture to soak in. Summer storms are typically less gentle, producing heavy rainfall but raising flood risks.
