Eastern Shore Remains in Drought Despite Some Improvement, Weather Service Says

Drought conditions remain a concern on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, even though some parts of the broader region have seen modest improvement over the past month, according to the latest Drought Information Statement issued July 9 by the National Weather Service in Wakefield.

The report said portions of central and eastern Virginia, including areas served by the Wakefield office, remain in Severe (D2) and Extreme (D3) drought. While the Weather Service noted a one- to two-category improvement in drought status across parts of eastern Virginia over the past four weeks, the Virginia Eastern Shore was specifically identified as one of the areas that largely missed out on the heavier rainfall seen elsewhere.

According to the statement, the Eastern Shore continues to show below-normal rainfall totals over the past 30 days, even as scattered showers and thunderstorms brought above-normal rainfall to some other sections of eastern Virginia, northeast North Carolina and southeast Maryland.

The Weather Service said streamflow conditions also remain poor. Twenty-eight-day average streamflow anomalies across much of the region, including the lower Maryland Eastern Shore and surrounding areas, were described as ranging from “much below normal” to “extremely low.”

The report said a number of municipalities remain under voluntary or mandatory water conservation measures, and agricultural impacts continue to be reported. Poor hay conditions and stress on crops such as corn and soybeans remain ongoing concerns.

Virginia continues to maintain a drought warning for much of central and eastern Virginia, including Accomack and Northampton counties.

Looking ahead, forecasters said a typical summertime weather pattern is expected through the weekend, with daily chances for showers and afternoon thunderstorms through Sunday, July 12. However, temperatures are expected to rise above normal next week while rain chances decrease. Overall precipitation during the next seven days is forecast to be near or below normal across eastern Virginia.

Longer-term outlooks offer little indication of major relief. The Weather Service said there is no clear signal for above- or below-normal precipitation through Sept. 30, but above-normal temperatures are favored through that period. The seasonal drought outlook indicates drought conditions are expected to persist through the end of September for much of the area.