Posted Thursday, June 1, 2023
It does feel a bit unusual. Springtime in our area normally brings rounds of showers and thunderstorms. This is also an opportune time for severe thunderstorms in our area. Both have been seriously lacking this time around.
As of yesterday, May 31, it has been 11 consecutive days without any rain in the Valley. Today will make it twelve days. The last measurable rain here fell on May 20 when we received 0.27 inches at the airport. Many folks are beginning to wonder if we’re heading into record territory for days in a row without rain.
According to official records, the absolute longest period of consecutive days without any rain in the New Philadelphia area occurred in October of 1963 when we went 27 days in a row without seeing any rain. That’s the record we’ll have to top. (This is BEFORE official weather data for our area was collected at Harry Clever Field.)
But let’s limit our record search to more modern times when official local weather data started at the New Phila airport (April 1998). Here are the Top 25 from that period:
Other than a small (20%) chance of a shower or thunderstorm on Saturday, there is not much promise for precipitation in our area for the next week or so. That means you will need to keep an eye on those potted plants and gardens for a while yet.
