ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VA (Rocktown Now) — Virginia’s deepening drought is now expected to last through the entire summer, according to the latest 90‑day outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. Forecasters say conditions across the Commonwealth are likely to remain dry at least through the end of September, with no meaningful relief on the horizon.

Image credit – NOAA Climate Prediction Center

The prolonged dryness is prompting more municipalities to adopt water‑conservation measures as streams and rivers continue to run below normal levels. Several gauges in central and western Virginia show flows more typical of late summer than mid‑June.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality says the long‑term outlook for groundwater remains a “concern,” noting that many aquifers have not recovered from deficits that began earlier this year. State officials warn that it will take an extended stretch of steady rainfall—not isolated storms—to rebuild soil moisture, recharge groundwater, and stabilize surface water levels. Until then, Virginians should expect drought conditions to persist at least through the end of September.