Out of drought: NJ’s recent rainy weather totally worth it

About six months ago, New Jersey was on fire. Literally. The Garden State was rapidly turning brown and dusty, as reservoirs dried up and wildfire danger became extreme.

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A full year ago — June 2024 — we began growing increasingly concerned about a growing rainfall deficit across New Jersey. While the weather was incredibly pleasant, things were clearly getting parched.

And it only got worse. Despite a brief respite from Tropical Storm Debby's rainfall in August, the fall turned completely dry. According to the NJ State Climate Office, October 2024 was New Jersey's driest calendar month on record, since 1895.

That led to approximately 50% of the state being placed in the second-highest "D3 - Extreme Drought" category on the U.S. Drought Monitor through November and December. It quickly became New Jersey's most serious drought since 2002, by far.

Serious drought comes with serious environmental and economic consequences, from hydrological concerns (reservoirs) to agricultural losses (crops) to extreme wildfire danger. And we have experienced all of those over the past year.

In Spring 2025, Mother Nature finally turned on the faucet, and New Jersey saw some much-needed rain. Since March, all counties in the state have reported rainfall averaging 1 to 4 inches above normal, helping to soak the ground and ease the deficit.

As of Thursday morning's Drought Monitor release, almost the entire state has achieved "No Drought" status. A sliver of South Jersey, centered around Atlantic County, remains in the "Abnormally Dry" category. Very welcome news after a precariously dry 12 months.

The NJ Department of Environmental Protection officially lifted the state's Drought Warning as of Wednesday. Parts of the "Coastal South" region remain in Drought Watch status, as officials continue to monitor streamflow and groundwater conditions there.

If severe to extreme drought had continued into the summer months, I have no doubt we would have seen widespread water restrictions and rampant wildfires around the Garden State. Even with the rainy improvements, I believe there may still be some lingering impacts to agriculture, soil moisture content, and streamflow. But I am so glad things are looking good.

And our hydrological situation will continue to be solid, so long as our weather stays occasionally damp. The summer is New Jersey's wettest season of the year, due to regular thunderstorms and the threat of tropical storms. As long as we get a round of good rain approximately once a week, give or take, things will stay green and lush for the duration.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Check out Dan's weather blog or follow him on Facebook for your latest weather forecast updates.