The recent rains, which are expected to continue into next week, are helping ease drought conditions in Montgomery County, but it is too early to tell how much relief the area will receive.
The area is in a minor to moderate drought stage, which is revaluated weekly, explained Erik Taylor, a meteorologist at NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Silver Spring.
During the previous 48 hours, between one-half inch and one-and-a-quarter inches of rain fell in Montgomery County. That rain was not heavy, thereby creating less runoff than would be experienced during a heavy rainstorm, Taylor said. Therefore, the rain that fell here was “fairly beneficial'” for groundwater sources and stream flow, he said.
However, the ground surface is “rock hard” due to the lack of adequate rainfall so not all that water was absorbed, he added.
During the next several days, there are “daily chances of rain and thunderstorms,” which should continue to help, he said.
6-10 day outlook from @NOAA's @NWSCPC:
It's gonna be a hot & dry week for the Southern Plains & much of the Southwest
But the rest of the country can expect near to above-normal precip—good news for many areas in #droughthttps://t.co/7rdkxQY0tM pic.twitter.com/Rqqo5cVdUJ
— NIDIS Drought.gov (@NOAADrought) June 22, 2023
