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THIS SUMMER'S WEATHER IS NOT "NORMAL"
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First off, there is no "NORMAL". Weather varies and you can look at history to calculate an "AVERAGE" but average does not equate to "NORMAL" as the weather can vary widely daily and still be average.
That being said, this year is in contrast to last year and also in contrast to the recent average. As a part of our water management services, we track weather and rainfall each year. The above chart indicates a few important points. First, compared to last year, we are 27% below the irrigation need. We did have an early start to the season and through early June we were on track with last year but the last month has been cooler than average thus the year to date irrigation need has been lower than last year.
Conversely, you can see that we have been above the average of the prior 4 years the entire season and are year to date, 17% above that average.
Another issue to consider when talking about average and normal is consistency. As can be seen in the graph above comparing 2015 and 2016 daily irrigation need has been highly variable this year with several hot dry spells alternating with cooler wet stretches. Last year was more consistent, especially when we got to June.
This is a great year to appreciate Weather Based Irrigation control as that is the only way to make the frequent adjustments accurately. This year, Weather Based Irrigation control has been a great tool saving those that have it money on their water bills.
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