Late 2008 was dry and 2009 started out dry but we have done some catching up. It seems like some sort of record should have been broken for precipitation but the numbers are not even close.
The official records for Baltimore going back to the late 19th century show that the January-June period of 2009 is only the 26th wettest.
1. 1889 34.15”
2. 1924 32.36”
3. 1983 31.07”
4. 1972 30.57” (The year of Hurricane Agnes)
5. 1892 30.40”
10. 1886 29.59”
20. 1878 26.22”
25. 1932 24.98”
26. 2009 24.80”
A look at the “spring” months of March, April and May puts 2009 in the top ten wettest on record.
1. 1889 21.23”
2. 1983 18.82”
3. 1924 18.35”
4. 1952 17.89”
5. 1953 17.60”
8. 2009 16.29”
A focus on the month of June places this year in the top 25 wettest in the record books.
1. 1972 9.95” (The month of Hurricane Agnes)
2. 1948 9.36”
3. 1963 9.16”
4. 1951 8.80”
5. 1920 8.25”
10. 2006 7.32”
20. 1924 5.54”
22. 2009 5.52” (Tie with 1911)
Records or not, it has been wet recently and the region goes into the summer months with water to spare.
John Collins
