Parts of New York State under drought watch, high risk of wildfires, DEC says

15-counties have been placed under a drought watch by the New York State DEC amidst an unseasonably warm, dry fall season.

For context, our North Country region is not included in this latest watch. Since May 1, Rick Beyer has measured over 41-inches of rain from his Rector Road location (Lewis County/Tug Hill), but meanwhile, downstate areas have been struggling with a dry spell for months.

Counties under a drought watch includes the southeastern part of the state, such as the Catskills, Hudson Valley and metropolitan area of New York City.

Those same regions are also under a high risk of wild fires, the DEC says.

NYS DEC image.