CHARLOTTE — Much-needed rainfall is finally back in the forecast in the Carolinas this week. And while some neighborhoods could pick up more than an inch of rain, unfortunately, it will not be enough to fix the drought conditions we are experiencing, said Channel 9 meteorologist Danielle Miller.
How much rain would it take for us to completely exit the drought? For the Charlotte metro area, the number sits around 15 inches of rain needed over the course of 1 month. If we were to extend that timeline to three months, we would need to pick up nearly 24 inches of rain.
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These numbers are calculated by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center. They don’t just take into account the current rainfall deficit for an area, but also incorporate factors, including water supply, water demand, and soil moisture levels. The index does not consider factors such as groundwater levels or snowpack.
The bottom line is that we would need to see above-average rainfall consistently over the next few weeks and months to eliminate the drought conditions we’re experiencing.
“To really make a dent in this drought and its impacts, we will need to get consistently above-normal rainfall, that means 1.5 to 2 inches every week, and we know this time of the year that’s tougher to come by,” assistant state climatologist Corey Davis told Channel 9. “More of our rain comes from those pop-up showers and thunderstorms. Those might drop an inch over your house, but nothing to your neighbors across town. So, we know it’s a tough ask to get that sort of widespread, consistent rainfall, but even average rainfall over the next couple of months would help to stop the bleeding of this drought.”
Charlotte currently sits nearly 9 inches below where we should be for the year. So far this spring, the airport has only picked up 2.19 inches of rain. That puts us in first place for driest springs on record up to May 5.
Fortunately, the weather pattern will remain active as we go into Mother’s Day weekend, which will help chip away at the rainfall deficit we’re experiencing. For the latest rain chances for your neighborhood, make sure to download the Channel 9 Weather App for the latest forecasts and alerts.