The Washington region has broken its dry spell at last, but meteorologists say that’s not cause for too much excitement.
“If you take [Friday’s] event, I’d call it a drop in the bucket,” said Brian LaSorsa, a local National Weather Service meteorologist. “If average rainfall amounts do end up being what we’re predicting, we need another 20 of these events to bring the region up to normal levels.”
The National Weather Service was calling for about a quarter- to a half-inch of rain in the area by the end of Friday. The drought-plagued region east of the Blue Ridge Mountains had the best shot of getting heavy rainfall Friday night, LaSorsa said.
Friday’s rain broke a record 34-day dry spell in the area. As of yesterday, rainfall at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was 10.33 inches below average for the year.
The drought has prompted Loudoun County to issue mandatory water restrictions for its residents. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine on Thursday declared a statewide emergency and issued a ban on open fires.
This weekend is expected to be dry, LaSorsa said, but a cold front could bring more rain to the area as soon as Monday night.
“If we got this every couple of days for the next few months, we’d be OK,” LaSorsa said, referring to Friday’s expected rainfall levels. “Or a tropical system – a good soak of rain over a day or two – could bring us back up.”
