Virginia is getting dry

[Blissful]

Just wanted you to know - Virginia is getting pretty dry and it's only March. There have been fire danger warnings posted in the southern part of the state where the AT runs along. And we have had no appreciable rain in a while. No rain this week forecasted either. It is cooler, which is good. But I must admit I am a little concerned about water supplies, esp going into the summer. We were in SNP this past weekend for a trip and while one of the trout streams was going, it was pretty low I thought for March and way too easy to cross (Jeremy's Run). And winter precip was pretty much non existent.

I get concerned too about fires, etc. Be careful out there!

[hammock engineer]

Since this is the year of my thru, I figured it would be either really wet and rainy or dry and hot.

Thanks, for the update.

[RockyTrail]

Talk to the 2003 thrus, they'll probably trade...

[esmithz]

I live in Virginia. Rainfall is competely unpredictable. Yes we are in a dry spell but not a drought. A few years back we had a dry Spring followed by one heck of a wet...wet...wet............very rainy wet summer. My same concerns about my thru-hike this year. I'm really more concerned about fires. Why? Because the forest service closes sections of the trail when fires start up.

[Blissful]

Agreed about the fires. The topsoil, etc is very dry. But there is still water flowing over the spillway in Charlottesville which means there is water in the water table. However, when the leaves start to come out, the trees will drain that supply quickly. So down the road it could matter with the water supply - esp when the Nobos come to SNP in May-June but let's hope we do get rain very soon. We're down five inches and have had nothing since Feb.

[minnesotasmith]

This is the most recent Palmer Drought index map. Here's the link:

http://www.weatherimages.org/data/imag273.html

Let's see if I can get the image to post directly:

[img]http://www.weatherimages.org/data/imag273.html[img]

[minnesotasmith]

Note that Virginia is shown as being generally in the normal zone right now. Only the area of Virginia that is southwest of the state of West Virginia is shown as classified as at all dry, and it's still in the first stage (of three stages) of drought.

[Blissful]

New Orleans is in a drought and six months ago it was flooding. (?) Wow

Well, so long at it doesn't get any worse here in VA once the trees leaf. The hurricane season usually helps us. But it is not good for gardeners, of which my veggie garden is waaay behind. They said here on the weather tonight it will go on record as the dryest March ever. 2/10 an inch of rain and six inches behind for this year. I'm interested in checking out the springs in SNP next weekend. Some were really slow last year in April when we section hiked, and we had a normal spring rain (like Calf Mtn and Blackrock which was a trickle). And that's tough for Nobos who started in early Feb because there is no water turned on in the park until May.

[Blissful]

At least in the southern section of SNP, that is.

[kncats]

Note that Virginia is shown as being generally in the normal zone right now. Only the area of Virginia that is southwest of the state of West Virginia is shown as classified as at all dry, and it's still in the first stage (of three stages) of drought.

I think it depends on who you ask and their interpretation. Most of Virginia is WAY below averages for rainfall. I think it is only a matter of time before a drought is "officially" declared by reporting agencies. NOAA is already calling a significant portion of central VA in a persistent drought "condition", whatever that means. Here in the southeast corner of Virginia we have had a record low amount of precipitation for the first three months of the year (less than 4 inches). We normally get more than that for the month of March alone.

[sdoownek]

I think it depends on who you ask and their interpretation. Most of Virginia is WAY below averages for rainfall. I think it is only a matter of time before a drought is "officially" declared by reporting agencies. NOAA is already calling a significant portion of central VA in a persistent drought "condition", whatever that means. Here in the southeast corner of Virginia we have had a record low amount of precipitation for the first three months of the year (less than 4 inches). We normally get more than that for the month of March alone.

Cut from the drought entry at wiki.

The precise definition of drought is made complex owing to political considerations, but there are generally three types of conditions that are referred to as drought.

* Meteorological drought is brought about when there is a prolonged period with less than average precipitation.
* Agricultural drought is brought about when there is insufficient moisture for average crop or range production. This condition can arise, even in times of average precipitation, owing to soil conditions or agricultural techniques.
* Hydrologic drought is brought about when the water reserves available in sources such as aquifers, lakes, and reservoirs falls below the statistical average. This condition can arise, even in times of average (or above average) precipitation, when increased usage of water diminishes the reserves.

When the word "drought" is used commonly, the most often intended definition is meteorological drought. However, when the word is used by urban planners, it is more frequently in the sense of hydrologic drought.

So while it may be dry and it hasn't rained as much as it has in the past, that doesn't mean that there's a drought.

[jlb2012]

I checked a few springs in Shen. today - Hightop Hut spring 2 liters/minute, Pinefield Hut approx 4 liters/minute, Blackrock Hut 1 liter/minute, Ivy Creek where it crosses the AT had good flow as reported by a section hiker trail name Floyd. Other notes - none of the facilities in the South District of Shen. were open yet and they had not turned on the water at Dundo picnic area/campground. Per the entrance station personel there is no fire ban _yet_. Noticed while walking through the leaves off trail that it was rather similar to walking on paper - the same dry sound. The only time I can remember it being dryer was just before the big fire a few years ago that started in the Pinnicles picnic area and on Old Rag.

[Blissful]

Thanks so much for the update! We'll be at Doyles Cabin with a bunch of teenagers coming up, so glad there is water flowing in the park.

Hey, and today behind our house we actually saw a HUGE dust devil - no joke. It was on an acre of property with no trees on it and just recently plowed over for house building. Never saw anything like it except in the desert of Utah. Wild.

[sdoownek]

http://www.wunderground.com/radar/mi...e=2x&type=loop

Expires 5:00 PM EDT on April 03, 2006

Statement as of 10:50 AM EDT on April 03, 2006

... Severe thunderstorms possible this afternoon and evening...

A large... deepening storm system will move from the Ohio Valley
to the mid Atlantic today. Strong winds and daytime heating may be
conducive for isolated severe thunderstorms to develop during the
afternoon and early evening. At this time the main threats look to
be large hail and damaging winds... with the prime time expected to
be between 4 to 9 PM.


While one storm doesn't mean that it's all fixed, it's a step in a wetter direction.

[jhedrick]

Speaking of dry conditions and forest fires. There is an ongoing forest fire in the South District of the SNP, generally west of Mile Post 81. The Park is moving fire fighting crews into the area and helicopters are being used to drop water, however, with the high winds containment is difficult. The AT remains open at this time.

Web Breaker

[jlb2012]

Mile Post 81 is relatively close to Loft Mtn. Wayside/Camping area and the Big Run drainage area - hope this fire is not as bad as the last one in the Big Run area. The AT in this area is to the East of Skyline Drive so it may not be immediately affected.

[Blissful]

Check this link for fire info. Some trails are closed on the west side of the Skyline drive (not the AT). We're supposed to be at the Doyles River cabin soon, too!

http://www.nps.gov/applications/fire...fm?postid=1919

[bearbait2k4]

I would love to hike the southern part of Virginia in a drought.

Every time I've passed through there, it's been in nothing but rainy weather.

Look on the bright side - no bugs.

[2009ThruHiker]

There is an 80 acre fire burning in SNP on the Blue Ridge Mtn's. of VA just South of Grottoes. LEt's pray for rain for VA... it is dry in places.