All of Upstate NY is now under drought warnings as the long dry spell continues

Syracuse, NY – A drought watch has now been issued for nearly all of Upstate New York, with the southeast corner of the state under a more severe drought warning.

The state remains under a burn ban until the end of the month, and more than half of New York state is at high or very high risk of rapidly spreading wildfires.

Some relief may be in store late this week from a strong storm system moving in from the Midwest. It can put a dent in the drought, depending on how much rain falls and where. Some parts of the state are so parched that it will take more than the 1 to 2 inches forecast from this storm to end the drought.

“Recent unseasonably warm weather and lack of precipitation have led to dry conditions for many New York counties, resulting in counties in the Hudson Valley and New York City area being elevated to drought warning status and a statewide drought watch,” said Governor Kathy Hochul today. in a statement.

A drought watch is the lowest of four drought categories; a warning is the next step up. (The two highest are emergencies and disasters.) While on duty, water conservation is encouraged but not mandatory. A warning means that public water utilities and industries are advised to implement drought preparedness plans.

Record-warm temperatures and historically low rainfall over the past few months have led to the drought and the worst wildfires in the state in nearly two decades. While nearly all of New York State has been unseasonably dry for the past few months, the Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island have been nearly rainless.

Poughkeepsie has had a total of just under 1 inch of rain since September 1; normally it would have seen 10 inches since then.

Temperatures have been record high across the state. On November 5, Syracuse reached 80 degrees, making it one of the four warmest November days since records began in 1902.