Summer Rainfall Shortage in NYC

This summer has seen a significant lack of rain in New York City.

The Big Apple has endured one of the driest summers in over two decades, receiving 36% less rainfall than usual. Between June and August, only 8.7 inches of rain fell across the five boroughs, whereas the average stands at nearly 14 inches.

Interestingly, the low rainfall has not raised alarms about a full-scale drought in the city, as observed last fall.

“New York City is classified under a medium drought,” explained meteorologist Stephen McLeod. “It’s essentially a scale from 0 to 4, and we are currently at level 2.”

This suggests that the average precipitation is slowing down, likely caused by the absence of significant storms or rainy spells.

Historically, the city recorded an average rainfall of 13.69 inches from June to August this year, marking it as the driest period since just 3.92 inches were recorded in 1999. In contrast, last summer saw a deluge of about 12.93 inches, leading to overflowing reservoirs and water-saving measures for residents.

Despite the current dryness, the city’s six reservoirs are doing relatively well; they’re sitting at just 2% below maximum storage capacity. A spokesperson from the Environmental Protection Department reassured that, “There are no concerns about droughts at this time.”

Interestingly, while it may have seemed like plenty of rain fell, it likely came all at once, as McLeod noted. “One day had a massive downpour, but when you look at the entire summer, it doesn’t balance out,” he said.

This summer has also been slightly cooler than average, clocking in at around 75.5 degrees— a bit below the typical 78 degrees.

While New York City isn’t facing any drought threats, neighboring Long Island is currently under a drought advisory issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. Residents there are being urged to conserve water.