We've reached the end of a rather dry water year in the Rogue Valley. Here a few miles NW of Grants Pass, the final tally was 27.74", which is roughly 70 percent of normal. The Western Regional Climate Center map shows most of JoCo in the light orange, but the data here should have us on the border of dark orange and red.
This was easily our second driest year of the decade, though well above the 16.80" in 2000/01. Only in May and June did we beat our monthly averages. The biggest miss was in January, which was 5.50" light. The shut-out in July was the fifth year in seven for our driest month.
If one can trust the longer-range forecasts, we're supposed to be warmer than normal the next three months and have a dry September. But considering how dry Septembers normally are (my average is 0.50"), that's not saying much.
After three straight below-average water years, it's time for a juicy one...within reason.
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