Mariton: We Need More Rain

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager

We are dry (even though it rained during the night).  The month of May was close to average, but both April and June were well below the average here at Mariton.  For the first half of 2016 I recorded 19.14 inches of precipitation at Mariton.  That compares to 24.65 inches, which is the average amount of precipitation I would expect for the same time period.  So, we have received only five months worth of rain through the first six months of the year.

On average, we receive about 52 inches of precipitation a year. So, roughly we should receive an inch of rain a week, or about 4 ¼ inches a month.  That is on average.  When we have heavy thunderstorms in months like July, it is common to have weeks with over an inch of rain.  Likewise, the tropics can get active and bring systems to our region that deposit huge amounts of rain.  Still, an inch a week is a good rule of thumb if you are keeping track.