25 days without rain: Drought conditions worsen across New Jersey
Currently, the state is under a drought watch, which calls for voluntary water conservation.
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Twenty-five days have passed since New Jersey has had any significant rainfall. With no rain in the forecast, it’s looking very likely that October will take the title of the driest month in the state’s recorded history.
“This month is running at a record-breaking pace for rainfall futility,” says state climatologist David Robinson. “The driest month on record was October of 1963, when a quarter of an inch of rain fell on average…We’re not going to get to a quart of an inch, unless the forecast changes between now and Halloween.”
Robinson says the cause has been a ridge of high pressure since August, which has also kept away storms like Helene and Milton. It's also the cause of blue skies, crisp air and warmer temperatures.
But there is a price to pay for that lack of rainfall, which is a drought.
One of the more visual ways to see evidence of an on-coming drought is by looking at the state’s reservoirs. The Boonton Reservoir is clearly suffering as can be seen from the rocky shoreline which would normally be under water. Even more telling is the water line on the bridge support which is off by several feet.
Robinson says it's not unusual for water capacity to drop in October before refilling in the winter. But he says it's the steep trajectory of water loss that’s concerning.
“If we don’t start seeing those reservoirs fill up as we get toward winter that’s when we’ll have concerns about next growing season,” Robinson says.
Currently, the state is under a drought watch which calls for voluntary water conservation. But if the state moves into a drought warning, residents will feel state-mandated water restrictions.
The record for days without substantial rain in New Jersey is 26 days.
