Drought Conditions

Sporadic rains have helped moderate drought conditions that had spread across most of the state, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor . As of May 22, all of the Baltimore region was considered “abnormally dry” except for southern Anne Arundel County. It had previously been under moderate drought conditions. Most of the Eastern Shore remains under moderate drought conditions, however. Five days out of every seven in May, at least a trace of rain has fallen at BWI Marshall Airport.

Queenstown farmer John Draper's corn crop looks bleak - ears that normally have 18 or 20 rows of kernels have 14 rows due to a lack of rain. Others have few or shriveled kernels, and some stalks haven't grown any ears at all. Yet, with a shot at harvesting about 60 percent of his normal yield, Draper considers himself fortunate. Drought conditions that have persisted across Maryland are expected to cut this year's corn crop yield in half. The weather also is threatening soybean crops, and driving up prices for all types of grains, squeezing livestock and poultry farmers.

Spotty rain this year has had parts of Maryland in and out of drought conditions, and the dryness may be worsening as the nation experiences its driest year since 1956. Anne Arundel County, Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore are in moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor . To the north of the Interstate 95 corridor, most of the state is considered abnormally dry. Those zones have fluctuated through the spring and summer, with some portions of the lower Eastern Shore reaching "severe" drought conditions at times, according to the drought monitor.

Spotty rain this year has had parts of Maryland in and out of drought conditions, and the dryness may be worsening as the nation experiences its driest year since 1956. Anne Arundel County, Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore are in moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor . To the north of the Interstate 95 corridor, most of the state is considered abnormally dry. Those zones have fluctuated through the spring and summer, with some portions of the lower Eastern Shore reaching "severe" drought conditions at times, according to the drought monitor.

Another reservoir would benefit Carroll A day doesn't go by without someone talking about the water supply and the drought conditions in Maryland. I read the April 28 Sun, "Fire officials call for water supply access." I've heard in the past the governor talk at length about the drought conditions in Maryland and Carroll County commissioners discuss the urban sprawl in the South Carroll region. I have one question or has the governor forgotten about Carroll County again? What happened to the proposed reservoir on Gillis Falls Road in South Carroll?

Tropical Storm Alberto isn't expected to reach Maryland, but it should be a damp week nonetheless. In the Baltimore area, at least, it may not be damp enough to remedy developing drought conditions, though. A low-pressure system is expected to stall over the mid-Atlantic today through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Showers and thunderstorms could crop up along the Interstate 95 corridor today, but the chances for heaviest rain later in the week are southwest of us along the Shenandoah Valley, according to the weather service.

Around the house* Squeeze overripe lemons and oranges and store juice in freezer trays. This will eliminate spoilage of fruit, and cubes can be used at your convenience.* Remove stains from laminated counter tops. Dip a dampened sponge in baking soda and rub the stained area. Wipe off with a clean damp cloth.* Remove purple price marks that have bled from packaging onto counter top. Apply rubbing alcohol on stain and wipe off.In the garden* Water lawn wisely during drought conditions. Waterings should be infrequent and deep.

As landscaper Bill Akehurst said in Thursday's front-page story on developing drought conditions , "This is 'April showers bring May flowers' and we haven't seen it. "If there's no April showers, May flowers are going to suffer. " A 15-day stretch of dry weather that ended with Wednesday's drizzle shows just how unusual the lack of April showers has been. Baltimore had a stretch of 15 days without measurable rain, meaning a trace or nothing. That ranks as Baltimore's fourth-longest stretch on record> without precipitation in the month of April, according to the National Weather Service.

Queenstown farmer John Draper's corn crop looks bleak - ears that normally have 18 or 20 rows of kernels have 14 rows due to a lack of rain. Others have few or shriveled kernels, and some stalks haven't grown any ears at all. Yet, with a shot at harvesting about 60 percent of his normal yield, Draper considers himself fortunate. Drought conditions that have persisted across Maryland are expected to cut this year's corn crop yield in half. The weather also is threatening soybean crops, and driving up prices for all types of grains, squeezing livestock and poultry farmers.

For the first time, Westminster is considering its own drought management plan to curtail water use during dry weather conditions. Although the city implemented water-use restrictions in the fall, it has not had a formal plan in place. Its restrictions included prohibitions on watering grass and filling pools. Worsening drought conditions prompted the state to implement similar restrictions in the spring. Despite torrential downpours this past month, Westminster officials are concerned about water levels at the city's public water sources, including a reservoir along Cranberry Branch north of Lucabaugh Mill Road and wells.

Thanks to the June 1 thunderstorms that spawned 12 tornadoes across the state, the monthly rainfall total is running ahead of normal halfway through the month. But another good dose of moisture is needed to keep it that way. At BWI Marshall Airport, there has been 1.98 inches so far this month, 1.55 inches of it June 1. Other parts of the state have seen significantly more rainfall in June (more than 5 inches fell in parts of Baltimore and Harford counties so far this month, as you can see above)

Sporadic rains have helped moderate drought conditions that had spread across most of the state, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor . As of May 22, all of the Baltimore region was considered “abnormally dry” except for southern Anne Arundel County. It had previously been under moderate drought conditions. Most of the Eastern Shore remains under moderate drought conditions, however. Five days out of every seven in May, at least a trace of rain has fallen at BWI Marshall Airport.

Tropical Storm Alberto isn't expected to reach Maryland, but it should be a damp week nonetheless. In the Baltimore area, at least, it may not be damp enough to remedy developing drought conditions, though. A low-pressure system is expected to stall over the mid-Atlantic today through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Showers and thunderstorms could crop up along the Interstate 95 corridor today, but the chances for heaviest rain later in the week are southwest of us along the Shenandoah Valley, according to the weather service.

The 12 months ending in April were the warmest in 117 years Maryland, the Northeast, and the nation. The year from May 2011 to April 2012 averaged 55.7 degrees nationwide, 2.8 degrees above the average temperature for the 20th century. That was the warmest of 117 years that are ranked by the National Climatic Data Center. Maryland is one of 22 states whose average temperature over the year ranked as the warmest on record. Another 19 states had average temperatures that ranked among the top 10 warmest over the year.

As landscaper Bill Akehurst said in Thursday's front-page story on developing drought conditions , "This is 'April showers bring May flowers' and we haven't seen it. "If there's no April showers, May flowers are going to suffer. " A 15-day stretch of dry weather that ended with Wednesday's drizzle shows just how unusual the lack of April showers has been. Baltimore had a stretch of 15 days without measurable rain, meaning a trace or nothing. That ranks as Baltimore's fourth-longest stretch on record> without precipitation in the month of April, according to the National Weather Service.

A developing drought across the eastern half of Maryland could worsen without a few periods of soaking rain, and drizzle like that seen Wednesday won't be enough to cut the rainfall deficit. At Carter and Draper Farms on the Eastern Shore, John Draper is used to dealing with a summer drought once every few years. But rarely has he been in his current predicament: There has been so little spring rain, he fears if he plants 225 acres of corn as planned, it quickly will die. A few inches into the sandy soil, there is moisture.

This seemingly endless stretch of beautiful, cool, sunny days in Maryland has finally pushed much of the state into a drought. "Don't say `beautiful' around farmers," said Fred Gadomski, a meteorologist with the Penn State Weather Communications Group. This week's Drought Severity Index map, compiled by the federal Climate Prediction Center, shows that Maryland counties from Frederick to Cecil, and south to Washington and Baltimore, have slipped into a "moderate" drought. Previously moderate drought conditions in Garrett County are now classed as "severe."

WASHINGTON -- Drought conditions in the West are expected to continue despite this year's heavy rainfall, while conditions in the Southeast quarter of the country are prime for additional flooding, according to the National Weather Service."

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LA PLATA -- As Maryland's drought continues to deepen, Gov. Martin O'Malley acted yesterday to seek federal assistance for farmers facing severe crop losses. The governor officially requested that the federal Department of Agriculture declare a disaster area in Maryland counties hurt by the drought, which has been particularly severe in Southern Maryland and the Lower Eastern Shore. "This disaster designation, if the federal government comes through with it ... will make low-interest loans available to provide relief to our farmers so they don't lose their farms due to the loss of their crops," O'Malley said.