are we in a drought? why is there almost zero rain?

[Anonymous]

First we suffered through the heat dome that basically had no rain. All of June basically had little to no rain. It is so bad right now the mosquitoes really aren't bad like they typically are in this area. Everything is dying outside without huge intervention with watering. I am about to give up and just let it all die. Those that survive are the fittest. I guess.

It is now July and the lack of rain continues. Is this ever going to end? If it is this bad now, I can't wait until August 😭.

Are we.in a drought now?

[Anonymous]

Yes, we are in a moderate to severe drought.

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?VA

[Anonymous]

This is pretty unusual because normally it gets so hot every day that it rains by 5pm.

I know no one will like this answer, but hurricanes do help with rainfall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is pretty unusual because normally it gets so hot every day that it rains by 5pm.

I know no one will like this answer, but hurricanes do help with rainfall.

Yes, hurricane rainfall is rainfall it all counts. Getting 10” of rain in 24 hours isn’t nearly as helpful as getting 10” of rain in 3 months, but you get what you get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is pretty unusual because normally it gets so hot every day that it rains by 5pm.

I know no one will like this answer, but hurricanes do help with rainfall.

Lived here my who life. Have observed a distinct summer pattern where if temps go into the high 90’s by lunchtime, afternoon storms become much LESS likely than if temps were only in the 80’s. About 88 degrees is our prime afternoon thunderstorm high temperature. As it gets hotter than that, storm chances go down*.


(* not counting storms that are part of large frontal systems, like the 2012 derecho)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is pretty unusual because normally it gets so hot every day that it rains by 5pm.

I know no one will like this answer, but hurricanes do help with rainfall.

Yes, hurricane rainfall is rainfall it all counts. Getting 10” of rain in 24 hours isn’t nearly as helpful as getting 10” of rain in 3 months, but you get what you get.

Will we really even get any rain from the hurricane?

For the last 2.5 weeks we’ve had multiple days where Accuweather says we’ll have a 50% or higher chance of rain (I’m in Loudoun) and it’s only rained twice. Once was a complete nothing but we got a good soaking on the 4th.

[Anonymous]

Where we are the last rain was June 6th. Everything is so dry.

[Anonymous]

my parents live overseas and i was just telling them this last weekend. here is super hot in the summer but the pattern is super hot day and by 4-5pm the storm front arrives from the mountains in Virginia and we have big storm. that's how we have great hydrangeas while my mom's ones are so and so and my mom spend $$$$ to water them. well this year super hot and no rains for days and weeks at this point. my grass and almost dead. i dont water anything normally but i bough and planted 13 roses two months ago so i am forced to water them or they would die. so many other plants look like dried prunes, everywhere. and no, a hurricane would not help as we would go from drought to floodings.

given the trend, it probably makes sense to have plants that can survive heat and drought. at least my rosemary is doing well.

[Anonymous]

I’ve lived here a long time. We’ve had summers like this. And the opposite, too. I remember 2006 being super rainy. So rainy my tomato plants drowned and died. I think 2011 was also like that. No one ever remembers the completely average summers, only the extremes. We’re in a drought this year. Next year we might be flooded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived here a long time. We’ve had summers like this. And the opposite, too. I remember 2006 being super rainy. So rainy my tomato plants drowned and died. I think 2011 was also like that. No one ever remembers the completely average summers, only the extremes. We’re in a drought this year. Next year we might be flooded.

I was pregnant with a toddler in 2013 and have distinct memory of it being a very, very wet summer. Felt like it rained all the time. This one is very very hot and very dry though. I love summer and even I need a gray rainy day. These 99 degree sunny days are starting to wear on me a little.

[Anonymous]

Do you want Beryl?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived here a long time. We’ve had summers like this. And the opposite, too. I remember 2006 being super rainy. So rainy my tomato plants drowned and died. I think 2011 was also like that. No one ever remembers the completely average summers, only the extremes. We’re in a drought this year. Next year we might be flooded.

Ha ha 2011 was the year where it was super super hot, there is even a Wikipedia page about it. That is also the year we had a earthquake on a hurricane in the same week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is pretty unusual because normally it gets so hot every day that it rains by 5pm.

I know no one will like this answer, but hurricanes do help with rainfall.

Yes, hurricane rainfall is rainfall it all counts. Getting 10” of rain in 24 hours isn’t nearly as helpful as getting 10” of rain in 3 months, but you get what you get.

It isn't helpful because most of the water just runs off. Our soil is hard and compacted which makes it harder for the rain to penetrate. We need several days of continuous steady rainfall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived here a long time. We’ve had summers like this. And the opposite, too. I remember 2006 being super rainy. So rainy my tomato plants drowned and died. I think 2011 was also like that. No one ever remembers the completely average summers, only the extremes. We’re in a drought this year. Next year we might be flooded.

Ha ha 2011 was the year where it was super super hot, there is even a Wikipedia page about it. That is also the year we had a earthquake on a hurricane in the same week.

I remember that year. We decided to vacation in Boston/Cape Cod because of the crazy heat at the beaches here. When we landed it was 101 in Boston.

[Anonymous]

2010-2012 and 2016 were all terrible summers with heat and humidity. This one is shaping up as just as bad, but has the added drought angle.