Washington Closes Out Second Consecutive Near-Record May RainfallDulles Ties Record

Image (click to enlarge): Month-to-date precipitation percentage of average as of 8 am May 31, from National Weather Service

Yet more showers overnight producing about a quarter of an inch of precipitation have put May 2009 firmly in position as the 6th wettest in Washington history. This follows the even wetter May 2008, which was the 3rd wettest. With only a 20% chance of additional showers the rest of today, the likely final monthly totals in the region are:

Washington National 8.05"
Washington Dulles  10.26"
Baltimore (BWI)     8.42" 

At Dulles, whose records began only in 1963, this ties the May record set in 1988, but is well short of the June record of 18.19" in 1972. Baltimore's total beats out the 7.77" last year to claim second place behind 8.71" in 1989.