Similarly, Dave Nelms, the U.S. Geological Survey's groundwater specialist for Virginia, said water levels are below normal in most of the 279 wells in the state in which the USGS monitors water levels. That means that if rainfall remains below normal, the conditions are ripe for an extended dry period if not a drought. Nonetheless, most experts appear unconcerned. Overall, the region is only about an inch below the 9.23 inches of precipitation that it typically gets by this time of the year. So Stuart Freudberg, chief of environmental programs at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, predicted that the dry spell would have a negligible effect on the water supply.
Meteorologists have good reason to expect normal rainfall to resume much sooner.
But while the dry weather has been good news for many Washington residents, it has not come without a cost. Tree pollen levels have soared to as high as 1,500 grains per unit, compared with 500 last spring, said Howard Boltansky, chief of allergy at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Gardening professionals, meanwhile, have spent recent weeks answering queries from customers anxious to keep their lawns green and their flowers blooming during the dry spell. Ironically, the biggest danger is that gardeners will end up over-watering or improperly watering their plants, said Reada Robinson, store manager of the Behnke Nurseries in Largo. The key is to water thoroughly at the root, she said.