Following months of abnormally dry conditions, the U.S. Drought Monitor has now deemed much of Orange County under a long-term drought.
Although an abundance of rain in the Catskills has brought much of the region’s reservoirs back to normal levels, ground conditions still remain unusually dry in Orange County after a hot and dry summer. The fall season has not produced enough rainfall to make up for the dry conditions.
Orange County was first placed under an “abnormally dry” drought, the lowest of the levels, on July 16, 2022. One week later, the area was upgraded to a moderate drought. By August 11, 2022, Orange County was upgraded to a severe drought.
Two intense heat waves overspread the region during the height of the summer. During one of the heat waves, the high temperature of the season reached 100.2 degrees on August 4, 2022. The dry spell led to massive forest fires along the Shawangunk Ridge in late August and early September, prompting an international team of forest firefighters from Canada to deploy into the area.
So far this year, with less than one month to go, eastern Orange County recorded 33.55″ of rain and liquid equivalent from snowmelt and rain since January 1, 2022. In comparison, 40.01″ of rain and liquid equivalent from snowmelt was recorded in 2021. This data was collected at Vail’s Gate Tower, a weather tower operated by The Newburgh News, LLC.
Just 0.22″ of rain was recorded during all of November of 2022, according to data from the tower. October of 2022 saw just 2.965″ of rain. In comparison, November of 2021 brought 1.39″ of rain while October of 2021 brought 5.409″ of rain.
According to recent data released by the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of Orange County remains under a moderate drought. The other areas remain under an abnormally dry drought.
