With the recent rainfall of last week, our meteorologists, and I know you citizens, have been hoping that we made a major crack into the rainfall deficit that we've had through the beginning of the year.  Deficits through the beginning of April had already reached 2 and a half to 3 inches through the region.  Add to that the 6 inch deficit at Reagan National and BWI and the 13 inch deficit at Dulles from 2007 and that would make for a huge problem for the remainder of the Spring and continue through the more climatologically dry Summer months.

 So this last rainfall of 2 to 4 inches throughout the region late last weekend through earlier this week really has helped return our region toward normal.  As of April 24, Reagan National Airport is 0.45 inches of rain ahead for the year, Dulles Airport is down only 0.07 inches, and BWI continues to lag a bit behind with a deficit of 1.80 inches.  Overall, we can deal with this.  This isn't too bad, as we are still in the time of the year where we receive the majority of our rainfall.  Here is a look at the current Drought Monitor for Virginia:

Notice how even the abnormally dry region has backed farther to the south, and how the moderate and severe drought have also really taken a hit with the latest rainfall.  Here is the Maryland Drought Monitor for the week:

The only portions of Maryland still in the moderate drought are far Southern Maryland in southern St. Mary's and southern Calvert counties, as well as much of the Delmarva Peninsula.

Our next chance for rain will be during the evening and overnight hours tomorrow, a better chance Saturday with the passage of a cold front, and finally another chance Monday as a new area of low pressure crosses the region.  This could further help dig our region out of trouble for the approaching Summer months, as some models hint at rainfall amounts up to 2.5 inches of rain by Monday night.  The NAM model hints at less than the GFS, but either way, expect the region to receive something, and no matter how much it is, it will continue to help.