Has it rained enough in Washington DC?
Rain soaked properly in 4 days ago, and the ground is still holding some of it.
Washington DC has had 16mm of rain in the last 30 days. A normal August here brings 109mm — and the driest August in the last 30 years still managed 30.7mm. This is drier than anything on that record.
Rain in Washington DC through a normal year
Across a normal year Washington DC gets about 1148.7mm of rain, most of it in September (118.9mm) and least in February (75.1mm).
That makes Washington DC one of the wetter places this site covers in the United States in August — 6th of 30, against Tampa at the wet end (191.8mm) and Sacramento at the dry end (1.8mm).
What that means for what you grow
- Pots and hanging basketsWorst hit, and first to suffer. Very little soil, fully exposed, and nothing to fall back on — in this weather they can empty in a day.
- Salad and leafy vegShallow-rooted and quick to bolt once they run dry. First priority of anything in the ground.
- Beds and bordersA long soak that reaches the roots is worth more than a daily sprinkle, which only wets the surface and is gone by lunchtime.
- Established shrubs and treesFine as they are. They draw from far deeper than a dry spell reaches.
Your own garden, not the town average
This page is worked out for Washington DC as a whole. Your garden has its own soil, its own shade and its own planting, and the front page will use your exact location instead.
Check my garden