June rain doubles average

NORTH FRANKLIN COUNTY -- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cooperative observer Dennis Pike of Farmington says it's a good thing that we're not in the month of January. Nearing 10 inches of rain in the month of June would mean that that we'd be looking at over 100 inches of snow based on a 10:1 ratio.

"So far I've logged 9.49 inches for the month of June with a day-and-a-half to go," Pike said on Monday.

Last year we also had a wet June with 9.36 inches of rain falling. In June of 2007 we had less than two inches or 1.91 to be exact.

Pike said on average, we normally receive between four-anda half to five inches in the month of June and in 2007 we were below the norm. "This year and last the amounts are certainly elevated from what they should be," Pike explained.

Pike said that there wasn't much relief last year as 7.08 inches of rain also fell in July.

But in 2007, 2.5 inches of rain fell proceeded by 3.57 inches in 2006 for the months of July.

"The big concern is if it persists, how much more can the already saturated ground take before things become unstable?" Pike asked.

Pike also reminded us that the annual precipitation is extremely stable year after year. Franklin County receives a pretty consistent amount of rain each year which averages 45 inches annually.

Although there is no proof, Pike said generally when a heavy period of rain happens such as over the past month, more than likely dryer periods will occur and offset those amounts to meet the pretty consistent annual rainfall average.