State environmental officials on Friday declared a drought warning for the first time in more than two decades for 14 northern and coastal counties after months of low rainfall and falling reservoir levels.
New Jersey could really use a heavy dose of rainfall - more than one, actually - but for now, Garden State residents can make the most impact in the quest to conserve water and avert serious water shortage concerns in the future.
Without significant short-term rain, the Garden State will continue plunging into a perilous rainfall deficit, with big hydrological and agricultural effects.
Conditions in New Jersey are improving, due in part to the heavy rains that drenched parts of the state last weekend, but also because last month turned out to be the 14th wettest on record.
Nobody is pushing the panic button just yet, but with drier-than-normal conditions and higher-than-average temperatures over the past few weeks, state officials are carefully monitoring reservoir levels as they begin to drop.