NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Finally! New York City is getting the first significant rainfall since late September—up to 2 inches through Friday—as the area continues to deal with a “severe” drought and widespread wildfires.
It’s been an exceptionally dry autumn in the region, with a record low of just 0.01 inches of rain measured in Central Park across all of October. The last time the city saw significant rainfall was on Sept. 29, when 0.78 inches was recorded in Central Park.
A couple inches of rain will help tame wildfire conditions but won't do much to end the drought, which is extensive at this point. Central Park, for example, is 9 inches below normal rainfall since Sept. 1, with similar deficits reported elsewhere in the Tri-State.
"Not a drought buster, but it will help, especially with ongoing fire weather issues," the National Weather Service wrote on X.
The rain arrived late Wednesday and was heavy at times overnight before tapering in the morning. But it's expected to pick up again Thursday afternoon and evening.
As conditions get colder late Thursday, the system may even bring the first snowfall of the season to parts of the Catskills, according to AccuWeather.
The system will usher in much chillier temperatures to end the week. While highs were above 60 in NYC on Wednesday, they'll drop into the low 50s Thursday and 40s Friday.
Conditions will clear but remain chilly and windy heading into the weekend. Expect highs in the upper 40s and low 50s on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The precipitation is sorely needed in New York and across much of the Northeast. Late last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor updated its drought intensity map to show that New York City, New Jersey and the Hudson Valley are under a “Severe Drought.”
The dry spell has sapped the city’s water reserves in the Catskills, though not to the point where mandatory water restrictions have been imposed in NYC. The city did declare a drought warning this week, however, and residents are encouraged to limit their water usage as city agencies cut back on theirs.
The latest reservoir level tracker from NYC Water shows the city’s water supply system at 59% capacity as of Nov. 19.
The drought conditions have also led to numerous wildfires in the area, from major forest fires in the Hudson Valley that killed a firefighter and sparked evacuations to rare brushfires in NYC parks.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday that the state’s largest wildfire since 2008, the Jennings Creek/Sterling State Park fire, is 90% contained. It’s among six wildfires that have burned more than 6,000 acres across the state.
More than 1,300 personnel from over 400 fire departments are battling the fires in New York, the governor said. A statewide burn ban is in effect until at least Nov. 30.