The newest analysis from the Drought Monitor shows the D.C. area is dry — and getting drier.
In fact, the D.C. area officially has severe drought conditions.
“I can’t recall seeing it this dry so early in the season, in spring,” 7News Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson said. “We are tied currently with our 40th driest spring to date in 154 years.”
With some rain predicted this coming weekend, it won’t be nearly enough to relieve the current drought. Rainfall this time of year is difficult to predict.
“With spring, with summer, you get these scattered thunderstorms were it’s the haves and have-nots,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to get anything that’s widespread going that’s decent.”
Drought.gov shows the severe drought conditions with D.C. on the southern border, stretching north to New Jersey and then west past Cumberland, Maryland.
Looking at the drought map, nationally, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico are experiencing exceptional drought conditions.
“We’ve got some of the driest conditions east of the Rockies,” she said.
The National Weather Service discouraged any outdoor burning with low humidity, temperatures reaching near 80 degrees and southerly winds that could gust up to 20 mph across a swath of the mid-Atlantic.
The good news from the Climate Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland — May, June and July are expected to have 50% more rainfall than average.
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