Washington DC Sees Just 0.01 Inches of Rain So Far in May After Recording 10 Below Normal Months in the Past 11 With Only Half an Inch Expected Through Sunday Night
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A persistent and deepening rainfall deficit has taken hold across the Washington D.C. area, with April’s rainfall coming in at less than half of normal — marking the tenth below-normal month out of the past eleven. May has opened with just 0.01 inches of rain recorded so far, and the week ahead offers limited relief.
DC Is Caught in a Rain Hole While Surrounding Areas Get More
The rainfall forecast through Sunday night tells a striking story. While areas to the north and south of D.C. are forecast to pick up 1.00 to 3.06 inches of rain, the D.C. metro area itself is projected to receive only 0.47 to 0.49 inches through Sunday night according to National Weather Service guidance.
Areas benefiting most from the week’s rainfall:
- Alabama and Mississippi — 2.56 to 3.06 inches
- Tennessee and Georgia corridor — 1.54 to 2.46 inches
- New England coast — 1.01 to 1.50 inches
- D.C. metro area — approximately 0.47 to 0.49 inches
A Storm System Wednesday Into Thursday Brings the Best Chance
The best opportunity for meaningful rainfall in the D.C. area comes with a storm system tracking through Wednesday into Thursday. However, the higher totals from this system are expected to stay north and south of D.C., limiting how much the metro area actually benefits from the event.
Weekend showers are also possible but are not expected to add up to much toward the growing deficit.
What DC Actually Needs to Keep Pace With Normal
| Metric | Number |
|---|---|
| Rain recorded so far in May | 0.01 inches |
| Projected total through Sunday night | Approximately 0.50 inches |
| Needed per week to keep pace with normal | Closer to 1.00 inch per week |
| May monthly average for D.C. | Nearly 4.00 inches |
| Below normal months in past 11 | 10 out of 11 |
May is typically the third wettest month of the year for Washington D.C., averaging nearly 4 inches of rainfall. At the current pace the area is tracking well behind that benchmark with no significant pattern change in sight through the coming week.
Stay with CabarrusWeekly.com for continuing coverage of rainfall deficits and weather patterns across the Mid-Atlantic and Washington D.C. region.
