Monday was the rainiest day at BWI-Marshall Airport since Feb. 1, and the improving precipitation picture is having the desired effect on the Baltimore region's reservoir system.

Rainfall over the past two days at BWI totaled 1.97 inches. That pushed the month's total to 3.25 inches, which is a quarter-inch wetter than the average April for the period 1971-2000. Monday's total was 1.32 inches. That was not quite a record for the date. Baltimore received 1.41 inches on April 21, 1918. 

Streamflow across the state is back in normal ranges, for now. But we remain in deficit for the calendar year-to-date, by about 2.5 inches.

The city's Department of Public Works reports the reservoir system is currently at more than 88 percent of its capacity, with more than 75 billion gallons in storage. That's up from 64 percent back in December, when authorities decided the continuing drought made it prudent to tap the Susquehanna River as a way to preserve supplies in the reservoirs.

Liberty Reservoir currently stands at 87 percent of capacity, up from 82 percent last month. Prettyboy is at 86 percent, up from 75 percent last month. Loch Raven stands at nearly 98 percent, up from 95 percent in March.

The new Drought Monitor map is being calculated today, and will be released Thursday morning. Here's how one of the city's reservoirs looked last fall.

  Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum