Mariton: Another Dry Month

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

August was yet another dry month this year. At Mariton, I recorded 2.02 inches of rain for the month.  The average is 4.44 inches.   Our total for the year to date is 29.96 inches, and the average for the same period is 34.70.

It is fascinating looking at my spread sheet of 20 years of data. During that time there were 6 Augusts when the rainfall fell below 3 inches:  2.70 (2014), 1.42 (2010), 2.08 (2008), 2.54 (2006), 2.23 (2002), 2.67 (1998).  With all of those dry years it is a wonder that my average for August is as high a 4.44 inches.  Again looking at the spread sheet, there are two outliers that drive the average upwards.  In 2011 Irene and several thunderstorms brought Mariton 15.45 inches of rain.  In 2009, 11.31 inches fell during the month (no tropical storms that year just a period of wet weather).

Tropical weather systems are getting active right now. We could use some extra rain, but we need to be careful what we wish for.