NORFOLK, Va. — Hampton Roads is in the middle of a prolonged period of hot, dry weather that is leading to the potential of a rapid onset drought. For most of us, this is the first time hearing such a term and that's because this new outlook issued by the Climate Prediction Center just became optional last month.
It is used to highlight areas where a rapid onset drought, or flash drought could develop in the next 2-4 weeks. The criteria used to determine vulnerable areas is below normal soil moisture values, areas experiencing 1-4" in precipitation deficits over the last 30 days and have expectations of high heat and evapotranspiration rates for the next two weeks.
"Evapotranspiration" is the process in which water is transferred from land to the air by evaporation from soil and other surfaces and transpiration from plants.
Hampton Roads checks all those boxes. We're entering a period of even hotter temperatures with highs climbing into the middle to maybe even upper 90s this weekend and next week.
Rainfall totals this month have come in less than ideal so far, well below normal: under 1" of rainfall recorded at Norfolk International which means we now have a deficit closing in on 2" for the month.
Looking ahead to the next 10 days on our long-range computer models in search for rain... we find some, but nothing that looks appreciable in respect of a good soaking which is definitely what many of our crunchy lawns and thirsty gardens could use.
