The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows encouraging progress: DC and much of the Interstate 95 corridor are no longer classified as being in drought.
The weekly map, released Thursday, indicates that the area from around Fredericksburg to Baltimore, as well as much of Anne Arundel and Calvert counties, has improved from drought status to abnormally dry — one category better than drought. While that’s welcome news, it doesn’t mean the region is back to normal. Additional rainfall is still needed to fully replenish groundwater and water supplies.
The official Drought Watch for the region is still in effect, and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments will convene officials next month to reassess conditions. The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin is also still in active daily drought monitoring as the flow at the Point of Rocks gage (operated by the U.S. Geological Survey) remains below the 2,000 cfs drought monitoring threshold.
Reagan National Airport remains 5.67 inches below normal for precipitation this calendar year and nearly 16 inches below normal over the past 12 months.
The improvement in the U.S. Drought Monitor reflects recent heavy rainfall, with many areas picking up more than 2 inches over the past week. Those rains have recharged soil moisture and helped green up lawns and gardens.
Despite the improvement along the I-95 corridor, much of the surrounding region remains in moderate drought, while severe drought persists across large portions of northern Maryland and the Eastern Shore.
WTOP reported earlier this week that the recent rains have not meaningfully improved water levels on area rivers, and streamflows remain well below normal.
“Most of the rain, the accumulations occurred in the eastern portion of the (Potomac River) basin that’s downstream from the intakes for the D.C. water suppliers,” Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin Executive Director Michael Nardolilli told WTOP. “A lot of places got a lot of rain, so gardens are going to pop back to life, but our focus is on the drinking water supply for the Washington, D.C. area.”
In other words, the region still needs more rain. Fortunately, the forecast offers frequent opportunities for showers and thunderstorms over the coming week, giving the recent drought improvement a good chance to continue.