New Orleans is 20 inches below average rainfall so far this year

New Orleans and other places south of Interstate 10 have had well below-average rainfall for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service in Slidell.

Meanwhile, places north of I-10, like Baton Rouge, have received a lot more rain and are almost on par with the average annual rainfall.

By the numbers: New Orleans has had 19.10 inches of rain so far this year, compared with the average of 39.15 inches — that's a deficit of 20.05 inches.

• Yet, Baton Rouge is only down 2 inches from normal.
• Over in Gulfport, which is south of Interstate 10, rainfall is down 16.04 inches so far this year.

The big picture: Almost 44% of the state is in a drought, including parts of metro New Orleans, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

• Another 33.6% is abnormally dry and on the verge of entering a drought.
• The most severe drought is in southwest Louisiana.

What's next: The forecast calls for hot and mostly dry weather for the next week, with excessive heat warnings in effect for south Louisiana.

• There are some afternoon storm chances some days, but forecasters say the region will mainly remain dry.

💭 Carlie's thought bubble: My plants would love some rain, but I don't want to jinx us as we head into what historically has been a busy month of hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico.