Virginia is experiencing a severe drought

Fairfax County is under a drought warning advisory, as Virginia is experiencing its most severe drought in 20 years.

“A prolonged stretch of warm, dry weather that began in fall 2025 has steadily worsened conditions across the state, and there is no significant rain in the immediate forecast,” the Fairfax County emergency blog posted on April 17.

A report issued by the U.S. Drought Monitor on April 14 classified more than 60 percent of Virginia as experiencing severe drought. That’s worse than previous severe droughts in 2006, 2010, 2023, and 2024.

According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, a significant drought event is imminent.

“Recent precipitation has been below normal throughout the Commonwealth, especially in the central and southern regions of the state,” according to the DEQ. “Soil moisture conditions are much below normal statewide, with significant drying occurring during the past two weeks.”

Groundwater levels have declined throughout the state, with the most severe declines in Northern Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Roanoke area.

Temperatures have run significantly above normal, accelerating moisture loss. Most of the state is forecast to receive less than a tenth of an inch of rain in the coming week.

Fairfax County urges residents to conserve water by cutting back on watering lawns and washing cars and only running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads.

Dry conditions increase the risk of forest fires, so residents are urged to take care when smoking outdoors.