RI is Dry and Likely to Get Drier, but Not Yet a Drought

RHODE ISLAND—The Ocean State has been dry as of late.

Too dry.

Since January, most of the state has received about 75 percent of the normal amount of rainfall. The rain deficit is between 4 and 5 inches and if the dry conditions continue, it won't be long before we're officially experiencing a moderate drought.

The National Weather Service said June has been particularly dry. That's great for the beach business, but it puts firefighters on high alert and forces farmers to heavily rely on irrigation. So far, most of the New England region has gotten anywhere from half to just a quarter of the normal amount of rain.

And there's not much relief in sight. There's a chance of isolated thunderstorms midweek, the weather service said, but "hardly a soaker, not enough to break the rainfall deficits."

It's possible that the rainfall deficit will reach six inches before the end of the month.

Putting things into perspective: since 2013, Rhode Island has a rainfall deficit of 15 to 20 inches, according to data crunched by the High Plains Regional Climate Center.

The lack of rain has also been a challenge for gardeners, but things could be much worse. Temperatures have been cool to normal all June, sparing vegetable gardens and lawns from heat stress.

How have you been dealing with the dryness?