>From CASI Member MAWS, the Public Info statement from BWI on the continuing drought of record proportions. Subject: NWS Baltimore/Washington Drought Statement Date: 18 Nov 1998 23:15:52 -0000 From: "Mid-Atlantic Weather Station [MAWS]" <wxmail-owner{at}listbot.com> To: "Mid-Atlantic Weather Station [MAWS]" <wxmail{at}listbot.com> Mid-Atlantic Weather Station [MAWS] - http://members.aol.com/herb0412/index.html Kudos to MAWS Mailing List member Alan G. for bringing this to my attention. I posted this to a weather newsgroup, but not all of you read or have access it. =============== PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON 610 AM EST WED NOV 18 1998 ...NEARLY UNPRECEDENTED DROUGHT ROLLS ON... 1998 BEGAN AS A WET YEAR. THE FIRST HALF OF IT RAINED SO MUCH IN FACT THAT IT WAS OUR WETTEST OF THE DECADE FOR THE JANUARY TO JUNE PERIOD. BACK THEN...EL NINO WAS ALL THE RAGE, AS WERE FLOODED BASEMENTS, AND DELUGED CROPS. HOWEVER...AS THE TROPICAL PACIFIC RETURNED TO NORMAL AND EL NINO SUBSIDED EARLY THIS PAST SUMMER...SOMETHING PECULIAR HAPPENED. THE RAIN STOPPED. HERE WE ARE NEARING THE END OF THE YEAR AND SIGNIFICANT RAINS HAVE YET TO APPEAR. IN THE 141 DAYS SINCE JULY BEGAN...BALTIMORE HAS HAD FOUR DAYS WITH A HALF INCH OF RAIN OR MORE - ONE IN EVERY MONTH BUT NOVEMBER. WASHINGTON HAS ONLY HAD THREE - ONE IN JULY...ONE IN SEPTEMBER...AND ONE IN OCTOBER. THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE STRETCH. SCANNING THROUGH THE HISTORICAL RECORDS...ALL THE WAY BACK TO A FEW YEARS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR WHEN THE EARLY VERSION OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS BEING COMMISSIONED...YOU CAN FIND AN AMAZING FACT. IN ALL THOSE 128 YEARS OF WEATHER RECORDS SINCE 1871...FOR THE FIVE MONTHS OF JULY THROUGH NOVEMBER...ONLY ONE OTHER YEAR EVEN APPROACHED THE PALTRY AMOUNT OF RAIN WE HAVE RECEIVED. SINCE THE SECOND HALF OF 1998 BEGAN...WE HAVE HAD JUST OVER FIVE INCHES OF RAIN. /5.08" IN BALTIMORE...5.22" IN WASHINGTON/. 1930 WAS THE ONLY OTHER SIMILAR YEAR. IT HAD EVEN LESS. /3.29" IN BALTIMORE...4.75" IN WASHINGTON/. THE REST OF THE PACK (OF DRY YEARS) BEGIN WITH SEVERAL INCHES MORE. WITH A MONTH AND A HALF LEFT IN THE CURRENT YEAR ...WE HAVE ALREADY ALL BUT SECURED THE 2ND DRIEST SECOND HALF OF A YEAR EVER /JUL-DEC/. WASHINGTON EVEN HAS A SHOT AT THE DRIEST EVER IF WE REMAIN DRY. THE TOP FOUR DRIEST: JULY THROUGH DECEMBER PRECIPITATION YEAR WASHINGTON YEAR BALTIMORE 1930 6.79 INCHES 1930 5.24 INCHES 1998 5.22 **SO FAR 1998 5.08 **SO FAR 1941 11.65 1910 11.54 1895 12.45 1965 12.48 LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE...THERE IS NO BREAK IN SIGHT AT THE MOMENT. IF WE CONTINUE INTO WINTER WITH THIS WEATHER PATTERN...IT WOULD MEAN AN ICY START TO THE SEASON. WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR OR BELOW NORMAL...AND STORMS TRACKING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY AND THE GREAT LAKES...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BEGIN TO APPEAR AS THE ATMOSPHERE COOLS INTO THE WINTER SEASON. NWS STERLING ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to wxmail-unsubscribe{at}listbot.com Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/