The months of May and June both experienced drier than normal conditions, especially in the northern half of Western New York. The recent dry spell is now considered significant enough for parts of our area to be labeled as "abnormally dry" by the National Drought Mitigation Center. This is despite scattered showers this past Wednesday and Thursday.
That designation means that soil moisture is below normal given the time of year and location. In fact, parts of Niagara County have measured barely half of normal rainfall over the past 60 days.
Fortunately, significant agricultural and economical impacts are not yet being felt. That is an important factor when assessing the intensity of a drought in any given region. If this dry stretch continues, parts of the area may be elevated to a "moderate drought".
This is the first time since March 14, 2017 that WNY has been highlighted on the weekly drought monitor. That last occurrence was at the tail end of a drought that began in May of 2016 and worsened during the summer.
Long range forecast models support the possibility for intensifying drought conditions in the coming weeks.
