All 62 New York Counties returned to a normal drought watch status

All 62 New York Counties have been returned to a normal drought watch status, according to one of the latest DEC announcements.

“Recent precipitation and the vigilance of New Yorkers who heeded calls to conserve water resources have alleviated dry conditions across the state,” said DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar.

During this last Autumn season, the state endured a particularly prolonged warm and dry spell, especially for the southeastern portion of the state, including the metropolitan area of New York City.

At one point, the entire state was under at-least a drought watch, but with that said, there has been enough precipitation to elevate the levels of both the ground and surface water for authorities to do away with the drought watch status statewide for the time being, the DEC says.

Drought stages are calculated using the State Drought Index, which evaluates whether several drought indicators have reached critical thresholds.

DEC experts track and evaluate drought conditions based on stream flows, lake and reservoir storage levels, and groundwater levels. These factors, and the duration of the dry period, season, and other information such as past and forecasted precipitation, weather patterns, and local conditions, are used by DEC to evaluate drought conditions across the state.

The State Drought Index is attuned to the specific attributes of New York and may differ moderately from some national technical drought assessments.

NYS DEC image.