Despite the weekend snowfall, this winter has been dry for Nelson County.
The National Weather Service has recorded 3.56 inches of precipitation.
This is about .96 inches less than the average for this time of year, said Carrie Suffern, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
These amounts are measured at the Charlottesville-Albermarle Airport. The station at the airport does not measure snowfall because there is no one staffed there to go out and physically measure it, Suffern said.
The lack of precipitation could be harmful to plants this growing season, said Greg Hicks, the vice president of communications for the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.
It’s important for farmers to replenish topsoil moisture during the winter months, something that is challenging when it is dry. Generally there is less evaporation in winter months so most of the moisture gets into the ground, Hicks said.
“Plants will have trouble germinating if topsoil moisture levels are not adequate,” he said. “And they will not survive a dry spring when they are young and tender.”
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