The weather has been great the last few weeks, with lots of sunshine and little to no rainfall.
This beautiful weather has come at a cost. With the lack of rainfall, the ground is getting hard, and we are feeling the impacts across the region.
How many days has it been since Youngstown recorded measurable rainfall?
It has been 19 days since we have seen rain at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. The last time any measurable rain fell across the region was on May 20, when Youngstown recorded just over a half-inch of rain.
With no rainfall recorded so far for June, Youngstown is currently in a deficit of around 1 inch for the month. With the lack of rain, Youngstown is also in deficit for the year at 1.37 inches below normal.
Is Youngstown experiencing a drought?
The weekly updated drought monitor map, which was released Thursday morning, shows that most locations in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania are officially in a moderate drought. In our area, the southernmost part of Columbiana County is still experiencing abnormally dry conditions.
The impacts from the lack of rain aren’t only being felt here locally but throughout most of Ohio and Pennsylvania. 97.9% of Ohio is experiencing either abnormally dry or moderate drought conditions. In Pennsylvania, the entire state is experiencing either abnormally dry or moderate drought conditions.
Will the Youngstown area see any rain in the coming days?
While the dry weather will continue into the weekend, the area will likely see rain near the start of next week. A weather system will move toward the region Sunday night into Monday morning, bringing showers and thunderstorms to the Valley. Chances for showers will then linger into the middle of next week.
Looking beyond the next seven days, both the 6-10 day and 8-14 day precipitation outlooks show the area having equal chances of seeing either below or above normal precipitation.
You can always keep up to date with the seven-day forecast here.
