Extreme Drought of 2022 Continues at Blue Hill

August 2022 was the sixth consecutive month with below average precipitation at the Observatory, and the region continues in an extreme drought at the end of summer. Spring (March-May) 2022 precipitation totaled 7.44 inches, which was the tenth driest on record. Summer (June-August) 2022 precipitation was only 6.00 inches, which was the eighth driest on record. The total rainfall for the last six months (March-August) totaled 13.44 inches, and for these six months this amount tied as the fourth driest on record. The normal March-August rainfall is about 26 inches, which means only about one-half of the expected precipitation has fallen during the last six months. The driest months this year through August have been July with only 0.80 inches of rain, which was the fourth driest July on record, and May with 1.30 inches, which was the tenth driest May on record. For the year to date, there have been only three hours with heavy precipitation, defined as 0.31 inches or more in one hour, with two of these occurring in August. This is the fewest number of hours of heavy precipitation during the first eight months of the year since three were recorded in 1997 and 1963 and two were observed in 1949. In a typical year in recent decades, there would be 13 hours of heavy precipitation during the first eight months. The greatest number of 33 occurred in 1998, which was the wettest year on record.

BHO Lowest March-August Precipitation, inches (1886-2022):

1) 11.65 in 1965
2) 11.90 in 1981
3) 12.76 in 1995
4) 13.44 in 1910
   13.44 in 2022
6) 13.78 in 1894
7) 14.04 in 1949

Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory