A rainy Memorial Day weekend that canceled events and water park openings wasn’t enough to alleviate the drought plaguing Fairfax County and the rest of Virginia.
Almost the entire state remains under a drought warning, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality announced today (Friday). The only exceptions are Isle of Wight County and a few cities in the southeast, which are under a drought watch.
A warning advisory signals that a “significant drought event is imminent,” while a watch indicates that residents should prepare for a potential drought,” according to DEQ.
“Recent storms greatly improved streamflow and upper soil moisture, with most localities receiving between two to four inches of rain on average,” the department said in a press release. “However, deeper soil moisture and groundwater remain much below normal.”
The determination to continue the existing statuses was made by the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, which met on Tuesday (May 26) and is next scheduled to convene on June 9.
Fairfax County has been under a drought warning since early January, and overall dry conditions have persisted despite a couple of significant winter storms that left piles of snow lingering on sidewalks and in parking lots for weeks.
Approximately 4.6 inches of rain have fallen in the area through May 28 based on National Weather Service data collected at Dulles International Airport, and according to DEQ, precipitation, streamflow and reservoir levels have returned to normal in Northern Virginia.
However, groundwater levels are still at emergency status, and forecasts show a limited chance of more precipitation in the coming days, as summer temperatures start to set in.
According to DEQ:
Long-term outlooks for groundwater levels remain a concern and will take a prolonged period of rainfall to recover.
Average statewide precipitation is approximately seven and a half inches below normal for the water year, which began on Oct. 1, 2025. There is no significant rainfall forecasted over the next 14 days. Without significant additional rainfall, the drought could worsen as temperatures rise and rates of evapotranspiration increase.
The department says it and the drought task force will provide bi-weekly updates going forward as the drought continues.
No mandatory restrictions have been put in place, but with Virginia experiencing its most widespread drought in nearly 20 years, Fairfax County encouraged community members earlier this spring to take “proactive steps to conserve water,” including cutting back on outdoor water use, repairing any leaks and limiting dishwasher and washing machine use to full loads.
