It hasn’t been this dry since records began in the late 1800s.
That’s the reality for some cities south of the border that have gone more than a month without measurable rainfall, a brutal dry streak unparalleled in modern records.
Portions of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic are mired in a worsening drought as this unprecedented spell without rain finally comes to an end this weekend. Wildfires burning near New York City have led to atrocious air quality for the region’s 10+ million residents.
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Philadelphia, Pa., and Trenton, N.J., have each gone 42 days since the last time they recorded measurable precipitation. It’s been 41 days without measurable rain over in Newark, N.J, and they’ve gone just over a full month without rain down Interstate 95 in Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C.
For each of those cities, that’s the longest dry streak on record. Weather observations in Philadelphia stretch back to 1871.
New York City’s Central Park went 29 consecutive days without measurable precipitation through the month of October, the station’s second-longest dry streak on record. A brief shower dropped 0.2 mm of rain on Oct. 29, and they haven’t seen any rainfall since.
The historic dearth of precipitation has forced the region into one of its worst droughts in decades.
According to the Nov. 5 update of the United States Drought Monitor, 76.39 percent of the state of New Jersey is in a severe drought or worse, with 19.77 percent of the state covered by extreme drought conditions. This is the most severe and extensive drought New Jersey has seen since 2002.
Dry vegetation mixed with favourable weather conditions have allowed multiple wildfires to spark throughout portions of New Jersey and New York in recent days.
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The most significant fire is the Jennings Creek Wildfire burning near West Milford, N.J., in the far northern reaches of the state. One firefighter died battling the blaze this weekend. The fire grew to more than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) by Sunday morning.
Northwesterly winds have blown smoke from this fire directly into New York City, where code red air quality was observed this weekend. “The air quality is unhealthy for sensitive people, including young children, older adults and people with heart or breathing conditions,” the NYC Department of Health posted on X on Saturday.
These historic dry streaks are finally going to come to an end through Monday.
The same system moving into southern Ontario will bring rain to much of the northeastern United States, likely producing measurable rain in cities that haven’t seen a drop since late September.
Totals aren’t likely going to amount to much, but any little bit helps—especially when the ground and vegetation are as parched as they are now.
