Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Remember that four letter weather word?
Rain!
Parched lawns, gardens and fields can be easily spotted across much of Western New York and much of the northeast U.S.
Abnormally dry and drought conditions have been expanding and escalating over the Northeast, with about 20% of the region officially under drought conditions, according to a report issued by the U.S. Drought Monitor last Thursday. Severe drought conditions were gripping 20% of Massachusetts. "Most of the dryness [in the Northeast] was short-term in nature, but there were immediate declines to river and streamflow levels throughout the region," the report stated.
Due to the lack of persistent soaking rainfall since June, soil moisture first became abnormally dry then tipped the scale to drought conditions across many counties in New York and other northeast states according to AccuWeather.
Some relief is on the way in the form of steady and soaking rains Monday.
The Northeast will have some opportunities for at least spotty shower and thunderstorm activity within the next seven days," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said. "Some locations from the eastern Great Lakes to the central Appalachians, portions of the mid-Atlantic and New England could receive a much-needed, thorough soaking."
Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Buffalo are expecting about an inch of rainfall across much of the region through Monday.
"The most widespread rainfall will cross Western NY from the morning through midday, with rain becoming more intermittent in the afternoon," forecasters say.
