Weather
New York Drought Update: Wet September Erases Drought Conditions
New York, NY – A wet September brought significant drought relief to the New York City region, with the latest drought assessment showing no drought conditions across nearly all of the local National
By Natalie Rhodes · 2026-10-03T15:32:00.826Z
New York, NY – A wet September brought significant drought relief to the New York City region, with the latest drought assessment showing no drought conditions across nearly all of the local National Weather Service forecast area.
According to the National Weather Service in New York, this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor shows no drought across New York City, most of Long Island, northeast New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley and southern Connecticut.
The improvement follows a wet September across the region, the weather service said Saturday.
One exception remains on Long Island. A small portion of the South Fork continues to be classified as abnormally dry, a category that indicates dryness but does not qualify as drought.
The latest Northeast drought map was released Thursday, Oct. 1, using conditions valid as of Tuesday, Sept. 29.
While conditions have improved substantially around the New York metropolitan area, the broader Northeast continues to show significant differences.
Drought conditions remain across portions of the region, with the National Weather Service highlighting New Hampshire and Maine as notable areas where drought persists. The map shows varying drought intensities across northern New England, while much of New York, New Jersey and southern New England is free of drought classifications.
For residents around New York City, Long Island, the Lower Hudson Valley, southern Connecticut and northeast New Jersey, the latest update represents a considerable improvement heading into October.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is updated weekly and tracks conditions ranging from abnormally dry to exceptional drought.