Conditions: Baltimore, Maryland, 11/08/2024 08:20:02 am
Temperature

53°

Mostly Sunny

47°

Dew Point
Relative Humidity

80%

Feels Like

53°

Wind (N)

0mph

Air Pressure

30.1

Sun
Sun Rise

06:42 AM

Sun Set

04:58 PM

Day Length

10:16 Hours

Difference

2 min 5 sec loss

Moon
Moon Rise

01:07 PM

Moon Set

11:02 PM

Next: First Quarter

Nov 09,2024

Moon Phase

Waxing Crescent

Climate
Average Low

39°

59°

Average High
Record Low

24°


(1960)

80°


(1975)
Record High
Conditions

Drought Watch Issued For PA and Region Update June 15 2023

drought
NOAA
climate data
Warnings

June 15 2023

A Moderate Drought continues to build across the region. As of today, Pennsylvania has issued a state-wide Drought Watch. I will get to what this means in a moment, but I wanted to address why I put that in my title of this post. I believe this is appropriate for most of our area in the Mid Atlantic and expect more ‘watches’ may follow.

According to the US Drought Monitor:

States vary historically what the impacts can be. However, here is what can be expected.

  • Honey production declines
  • Irrigation use increases; hay and grain yields are lower than normal
  • Trees and landscaping are stressed; fish are stressed
  • Voluntary water conservation is requested; reservoir and lake levels are below normal capacity
  • Wildfires and ground fires increase

 

Rainfall Measuring In Baltimore

Using the reporting station for Baltimore at BWI Airport, we can get a sense of what the region has been experiencing. I compared the monthly observations for precipitation to the average. We can see the only month above average was April.

  • Jan -1.40
  • Feb -0.72
  • Mar -2.52
  • Apr +0.73
  • May -3.30
  • June -1.88

TOTAL = -9.09” This is a BIGGER HOLE than just two weeks ago and even harder to to climb out of for any help.

Many lawns are ‘burning’ or drying up to brown grass. The farmers with limited or no irrigation are hurting as well.

June 15 drought rainfall Baltimore

 

According the US Drought Monitor:

MARYLAND

Maryland has 88% percent in the dry to very dry rating. 

Moderate Drought affecting 71%

Estimated Population in Drought Areas: 4,718,979

June 15 drought monitor Maryland

 

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania has 100% of topsoil as dry to very dry.

Moderate Drought affecting 79.54%

Estimated Population in Drought Areas: 8,779,689

June 15 drought monitor Pennsylvania

 

Drought Watch:

Press Release From the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of Environmental Protection

“Risks and volatility in farming are weather-related more than in any other business,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Pennsylvania’s beneficial natural average rainfall has been upended by weather extremes and unpredictability in recent years. This year is no exception, with more than 90 percent of the topsoil across the state either short or very short in moisture content in the past week.

“It’s critical for farmers, orchard owners and other producers to keep track of losses, and take advantage of federal crop insurance to help recoup those losses and state conservation funding and business planning grants to protect their soil, diversify their operations, and cushion against future weather-related losses. Planning cannot change the weather, but it can help farm businesses manage the risks that come with it.”

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) urges Pennsylvanians to be aware of increased fire risk.

Low precipitation has dramatically increased the number of wildfires in Pennsylvania this year. There have already been 1,400 wildfires reported statewide so far in 2023, compared to 1,036 in all of 2022. This year’s wildfires have burned more than 8,500 acres, compared to 2,700 acres in 2022.

More details can be found at this link.

VIRGINA

Virginia  has 55% of topsoil as dry to very dry.

Moderate Drought affecting 19.88%

Estimated Population in Drought Areas: 2,478,609

 

June 15 drought monitor Virginia

 

Northeast Region:

U.S. Drought Monitor Report

A storm system developed over the Midwest during the weekend and moved across the Northeast Monday into Tuesday bringing heavy rainfall to parts of the interior Northeast, warranting targeted improvements to the drought depiction in portions of northeastern Pennsylvania and interior New England. Otherwise, the storm system did little to improve antecedent dryness, acting only to halt ongoing deterioration, with the help of below average maximum temperatures for this week. In areas that experienced below average 7-day rainfall, expansion of abnormally dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1) conditions is warranted, particularly across southern portions of the Northeast. 7-day average stream flows have fallen below the 10th percentile of the historical distribution for this period and soil moisture continues to decline.

June 15 drought monitor Northeast US

 

 

Rainfall Outlook

Improving!  Over the next week or two, we do have a favorable pattern for more rainfall. This will not be a drought buster, but may produce a few moderate rain days.

June 15 rainfall outlook

 

 

Friday Storms

This may begin with Friday June 16. I will have more details in my morning report.

June 16 NOAA Severe Storm Friday

 

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Also See: 

La Niña Has Ended. El Niño May Return By Fall

 

2023 Hurricane Season Forecast With An El Niño Watch

 

Aurora Photos From Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia

Aurora Northern Lights April 23 Deep Creek Lake Maryland

 

Please share your thoughts, and best weather pics/videos, or just keep in touch via social media

 

RESTATING MY MESSAGE ABOUT DYSLEXIA

I am aware there are some spelling and grammar typos, and occasional other glitches. I take responsibility for my mistakes, and even the computer glitches I may miss. I have made a few public statements over the years, but if you are new here you may have missed it: I have dyslexia, and found out during my second year at Cornell University. It didn’t stop me from getting my meteorology degree, and being first to get the AMS CBM in the Baltimore/Washington region. One of my professors told me that I had made it that far without knowing, and to not let it be a crutch going forward. That was Mark Wysocki and he was absolutely correct! I do miss my mistakes in my own proofreading. The autocorrect spell check on my computer sometimes does an injustice to make it worse. I also can make mistakes in forecasting. No one is perfect predicting the future. All of the maps and information are accurate. The ‘wordy’ stuff can get sticky.  There has been no editor that can check my work when I needed it and have it ready to send out in a newsworthy timeline. Barbara Werner is a member of the web team that helps me maintain this site. She has taken it upon herself to edit typos, when she is able. That could be AFTER you read this. I accept this and perhaps proves what you read is really from me… It’s part of my charm.

#FITF