Through Sunday, 3.60 inches of rain had fallen in Richmond since September 1, about 40 percent of normal through this point in the fall. But October is when we became especially parched.

The 0.61 inches of rain last month made it the 10th driest October in Richmond since daily records began in 1897.

However, there are monthly precipitation records in Richmond that go back to 1872, and there were two additional Octobers (1874, 1884) with less rain than our past October.

Remembering that most of our October rain (0.58”) came on the first day of the month, it means that we have gone nearly five weeks without a daily rainfall totaling more than 0.03 inches — the fifth longest stretch on record.

The current record for that streak is 43 days, which ended on November 8, 2000. And there is a legitimate chance we will exceed it.

Further, the driest 45-day period on record in Richmond ended five days after that, with a total of 0.11 inches at the end of November 13. The next day, 0.42 inches fell.

When to hope for rain

Right now, there are two chances for light rain over the next ten days. But neither of those look promising.

The first comes Thursday or Friday this week as a weakening system passes through from the west. The second comes between Sunday and Monday (Nov. 10-11) when another weak system passes through.

But neither of these will have the advantage of tapping into a flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean, as winds will be more from the west versus the southwest when they go by. West winds come down the eastern side of the Appalachians, so they tend to get warmer and drier as they decline in elevation, making it difficult to produce significant rainfall.

There are more encouraging signs of a significant system toward the end of next week — Thursday or Friday (Nov 14-15) — that would put an end to the dry spell, but even that does not appear to bring a fundamental change to a wetter weather pattern for the second half of the month.

So, file these two thoughts away for next week:

• If no rain falls through the end of Thursday, November 14, Richmond will set the record for consecutive days with less than 0.03 inches of rain: 44.
• Even if it rains on November 15, and the total is less than 0.07 inches, we will set a new record for the driest 45-day period — regardless of time of year.

As a side note, Richmond is also having one if its 20 warmest falls on record, and the weather pattern for the last half of the month favors temperatures above normal. 

This fall will likely be among the 20 driest and warmest on record.

No rain on Election Day

Perhaps a bit cloudy to start on Tuesday, but daybreak will be in the 50s. Clouds will break for more afternoon sun and a generous south breeze, sending the afternoon well into the 70s.

Normal highs this week are in the low-mid 60s. Normal lows are in the low 40s.

Daylight Savings Drama

As darkness has suddenly shifted an hour earlier into our afternoon routines, there is the temptation to wish we were on Daylight Saving Time (DST) all year long.

That idea was tried for two years in the 1970s in response to the energy crisis at the time, and it quickly turned unpopular.

In December 1973, 79 percent of Americans approved of year-long DST. Just three months later, that number dropped to 42 percent.

The later sunsets come at a cost: later sunrises.

Between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day, full-time DST would keep the sun below the horizon until after 8:00 a.m. in Richmond. During the depth of solar winter, between Christmas and the first half of January, the sun would not rise until after 8:20 a.m., making for darker and colder commutes to work and school, and increasing the risk of traffic accidents. 

Even with full-time DST, the sun would still set a few minutes before 6:00 p.m. throughout all of December.

Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.