2021 Drought Monitor: How Dry Is It In New Jersey?

NEW JERSEY — As summer draws near, New Jersey and dozens of other states could benefit from a little less sunshine and a little more rain this week.

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 30 U.S. states were experiencing drought conditions described as moderate or worse for the week ending June 8.

New Jersey counties that were rated as “abnormally dry” included Hunterdon, Mercer, Burlington, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, Atlantic and Cape May.

Here were the overall conditions in the Northeast U.S., which includes New Jersey:

“Temperatures for the week were 4-8 degrees above normal, with portions of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine 8-12 degrees above normal. Precipitation was spotty with most areas dry, but pockets of above-normal precipitation were scattered throughout the region. Moderate drought conditions were expanded over western Maine and into northern New Hampshire and Vermont while abnormally dry conditions were increased over northern New York, eastern Massachusetts and west central New Jersey. Some abnormally dry conditions were removed in northern New Jersey and southern New York as well as in southern New Jersey.”

Nationally, nearly 39 percent of the United States was experiencing some type of drought for the week ending June 8, according to the latest NOAA data. In addition to 93 million people, more than 78 million acres of crops are being affected by the dry conditions.

Last week, warm and dry conditions dominated the western U.S., while the southern plains and south recorded the most precipitation for the week as well as cooler than normal temperatures. Temperatures were 3-6 degrees below normal over much of the southern plains, and into the lower Mississippi Valley. Warmer than normal temperatures dominated from California to the Dakotas with departures of 9-12 degrees above normal and even higher in the northern Plains. With the active pattern continuing over the southern plains, conditions have flipped over the last several weeks from one of drought to ample precipitation. A reassessment of conditions in several places in the west and northern plains led to improvements, in light of some of the wetter conditions recently.

So what exactly is drought?

Drought is defined as a lack of precipitation such as rain, snow or sleet over a period that typically results in a water shortage. While drought usually stems from an area’s specific weather pattern, it can also be triggered by human activity such as water use and management.

Behind hurricanes, drought is the second-most-costly form of natural disaster in the United States, exacting an average toll of $9.6 billion in damage and loss per event, according to statistics from the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Usually, some level of drought has some part of the country in its grip.

During the historic dry spell of 2012 — the nation’s most extensive since the 1930s — as much as two-thirds of the country was affected by drought at its peak.

U.S. droughts can sometimes last longer than a season. From 2012 to 2016, scant rainfall and record-breaking heat in California created what is estimated to have been the state’s worst drought in 1,200 years, according to the National Resources Defense Council.

Fortunately for everyone, water is a renewable resource that moves in a cycle with neither a beginning nor an end. Typically, the United States receives enough precipitation during an average year to cover the states in a depth of about 30 inches.

But when it does rain, what happens to water when it reaches the ground?

About 70 percent of the annual precipitation returns to the atmosphere by evaporation from land and water surfaces and by vapor from vegetation. The remaining 30 percent eventually reaches a stream, lake or ocean due to runoff during and immediately after rain, as well as soaking into the ground.

If you’ve ever wondered where a raindrop ends up when it falls in New Jersey, check out this interactive map developed by data analyst Sam Learner that traces the path of a raindrop depending on where it falls.

This article contains reporting from the Patch national desk

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