Even after a winter that brought plenty of snow, much of the New York Tri-State area remains stuck in drought, and the latest outlook suggests the situation may deepen rather than ease. News 12 reported on the new figures, with the station's storm team warning that the weeks ahead could bring more cause for concern across the region.
The assessment came from the most recent drought monitor issued by the Climate Prediction Center, which meteorologist Addison Green said did not paint a good picture. According to that report, the majority of the Tri-State now sits under some level of drought, a striking situation given how much snow had fallen over the winter months.
The severity varies across the region. The report showed conditions worsening down across central and southern New Jersey, while portions of the Catskills and northern Connecticut were placed under severe drought. Some areas were described as abnormally dry, but across the heart of the region, a moderate drought was said to be unfolding.
That dryness is already starting to take a toll on the landscape. Forecasters warned of potential damage to crops and plants, and noted that rivers, streams and reservoirs across the area are all running at lowered levels, a sign of just how far the moisture deficit has built up over time.
With water supplies under pressure, the message from the storm team was that now is the time to conserve water usage. The warning was blunt, with meteorologists cautioning that conditions may get worse before they get better as the region heads deeper into the summer season.
The short-term forecast offered little relief. Looking at the stretch from June 9th to June 13th, temperatures were expected to run at normal levels at first, which would at least keep plants from being stressed more than they already are, before trending warmer across the board, especially closer to the Catskills.
Rain, which would help ease the strain, appears to be in short supply. The report projected less rainfall during that same window, pointing to a drier outlook across the entire Tri-State. The bottom line, according to News 12, is that the drought gripping the region now may only intensify over the next several days.