It has been dry lately, but are we in a drought?

SYRACUSE, NY (WSYR-TV) – We are in the middle of an extended dry stretch of weather here in Central New York, but have we reached drought status?

In short, no.

So far in September, Syracuse has picked up only 0.79 inches of rain. This is 1.2 inches below average.

In other words, if September ended today, it would be the third driest on record in Syracuse.

Per the latest Drought Monitor released Thursday morning, September 19, most of New York State is not highlighted in any drought category despite our lack of recent rainfall.

The one exception is in the far southwestern corner of the state, classified as ‘abnormally dry.’ In abnormally dry conditions, crop growth is stunted, planting is delayed, fire danger is elevated, lawns brown early, gardens begin to wilt, and surface water levels decline.

The NewsChannel 9 Storm Team will continue to monitor any changes in our drought status.

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