Following one of the driest winter seasons on record in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, the spring and early summer continued the dryness (at least, until locally heavy rains developed with showers and downpours in thunderstorms during mid-late June).
The driest January 1 to June 17 period since 1988 was observed in far southwestern Virginia, with this period generally ranking in the top 5 to 10 years of all-time for dryness since record keeping started (more than 100-years ago in some places). Moderate to severe drought, with local extreme classifications, were widespread across the entire state during the spring-early summer to significantly impact the growing season.
With a strong El Nino coming, what will the upcoming cold season bring to Virginia?
Join me as I recap the 2026 growing season across the state of Virginia and look ahead to coming months.
For more information, contact Wayne Browning at 804.760.3932 or wbrowning@vsu.edu.
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