Drought worsens in Northern New York

Severe drought has developed in northern New York along the St. Lawrence Seaway as of 21 July, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center. Conditions throughout the northeast and New England have generally become drier in recent weeks but an extended pattern of particularly low rainfall along the northern New York border is cause for growing concern. Click here for full list of impacted areas are listed alphabetically by county and township.

Towns in northern New York experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions according to the National Drought Mitigation Center as of 21 July 2020.
Towns in northern New York experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions according to the National Drought Mitigation Center as of 21 July 2020.

Below-average rainfall

90-day rainfall totals north of Canton and Potsdam are between 3 and 4 inches which is well-below ‘Normal’ expected rainfall for this region and period of time during the season.

Map of 90-day rainfall totals in northern New York between 20 May and 21 July 2020.
Map of 90-day rainfall totals in northern New York between 20 May and 21 July 2020.

Drought Programs and Assistance

USDA has programs to help farmers and small businesses dealing with persistent drought. If you are being impacted in northern NY, click here to learn about available programs and resources.

This article is posted by the Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA) which is part of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.