New York City Is Having the Driest Fall in History
New York’s exceptionally dry autumn is unprecedented. A combined 1.59 inches of rain was recorded in Central Park in September and October, the lowest since records were kept starting in 1869. October was also the driest calendar month on record in Central Park with only 0.01 inches of rain, breaking the previous record of 0.02 inches, set in June 1949.
From Sept. 30 to Oct. 28, there was no measurable precipitation, which the National Weather Service defines as at least 0.01 inches. That 29-day streak with no rainfall is the second longest in the city’s history; the longest streak was a century ago in 1924, lasting 36 days in October and November.
October Had the Second-Longest Streak of Days With No Rain in Central Park
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Data as of Nov. 8.
The city has issued a drought watch — the first since 2001 — and is urging residents to reduce water usage.
Brush fires broke out in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and New Jersey after months of parched conditions across the Northeast. Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze in Brooklyn on Friday night, using drone technology to identify hot spots, the New York City Fire Department said in posts on X.
The drought is part of a wider pattern of low rainfall in the northeast, with several weather stations reporting no measurable rain for several weeks.
Across the contiguous US, this was the second-driest and second-warmest October on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Most of US Northeast Is Experiencing Drought
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Data as of Nov. 8.
The dry spell in New York has continued through the first week of November. But some relief may be in sight, as forecasts show possible rainfall in coming days.