Washington DC and Virginia Pick Up 0.22 to 0.76 Inches of Rainfall Sunday and Monday With Springfield Seeing 0.5 Inches and DC Still Nearly 4 Inches Below Average for the Year
WASHINGTON, DC — A few rounds of rainfall since Sunday afternoon delivered anywhere from a few hundredths of an inch to 0.76 inches across the Washington DC and Virginia region, with the heaviest totals falling south of the Capital Beltway through Monday, May 12, 2026.
Washington DC picked up 0.22 inches since Sunday, while Springfield, Virginia recorded as much as 0.5 inches and Dunkirk recorded 0.44 inches as the steadiest rains fell around the city and southward.
Rainfall Totals by Location
The rainfall map covering Sunday and Monday shows a clear north-to-south gradient across the region, with southern areas picking up significantly more rain than northern suburbs:
- Fredericksburg, Virginia recorded 0.76 inches, the highest total visible on the map, making it the wettest location in the region during this rainfall event.
- Springfield, Virginia picked up 0.5 inches and Dunkirk recorded 0.44 inches, with both locations sitting south of the Capital Beltway where the steadiest rains fell.
- Washington DC recorded 0.22 inches since Sunday, a modest but measurable total for the city itself.
- Fredericksburg Battlefields area recorded 0.52 inches with nearby locations showing 0.49 and 0.54 inches, confirming the heaviest rainfall band was concentrated well south of the city.
- Annapolis, Maryland recorded 0.41 inches while Bowie picked up 0.32 inches, showing that eastern Maryland also saw a decent soaking compared to northern suburbs.
- Northern suburbs generally picked up only a few hundredths of an inch or even less, with locations like Germantown recording 0.07 inches and areas near Winchester, Virginia seeing 0.11 inches.
DC Running Nearly 4 Inches Below Average
Despite this weekend’s rainfall, Washington DC remains in a significant rainfall deficit heading into mid-May 2026:
- Through Sunday, DC was just under 1 inch below its average rainfall total for May alone, meaning even this weekend’s rain was not enough to catch up to normal levels for the month.
- On the year, DC sits approximately 4 inches below average rainfall, a substantial deficit that reflects how dry the region has been over recent months.
- Nine of the last 10 months before May finished below average for rainfall in Washington, underscoring just how persistent this dry pattern has been across the region.
What This Means Going Forward
While 0.5 inches in Springfield and 0.76 inches near Fredericksburg represent a helpful soaking for those areas, the broader rainfall deficit across Washington DC and Virginia remains a concern:
- Gardeners and lawn care residents across the DC metro area should not expect this weekend’s rainfall to fully offset weeks and months of below-average precipitation.
- The 4 inch annual deficit in DC means the region needs sustained periods of above-average rainfall over multiple weeks to meaningfully recover from this dry stretch.
WaldronNews.com will continue tracking rainfall totals and the ongoing precipitation deficit across Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland and will provide updates as additional rainfall chances and monthly totals develop through May 2026.