How The Snow, Rain Storm Impacted NJ's Drought Emergency

NEW JERSEY — As parts of the Garden State got 11 inches of snow dumped on them and other areas seeing a deluge of rain, you likely are wondering: how is this going to impact New Jersey's ongoing drought?

Earlier this week, the U.S. Drought Monitor upgraded more than half of the state's drought conditions to "extreme," with the rest of the state in "severe drought."

Thanks to the rain this week, the Department of Environmental Protection lifted fire restrictions that have been in place for several weeks now. The precipitation will help dampen current wildfires and prevent more from starting.

However, a lot more is needed to actually resolve the drought, experts say.

As of Nov. 19, the National Weather Service's Mt. Holly bureau said all nine of its climate stations (in Delaware, Pennsylvania and of course, New Jersey) were on track to record their driest autumn in history, which in some cases dates back to the 1800s.

Data shows that New Jersey is in a rainfall deficit of 9 to 11 inches - that's the amount of rain that normally falls in this period of time.

But if that much rain fell at once, it would likely just become runoff instead of replenishing the drained waterways and reservoirs. Instead, forecasters say a steady period of above average precipitation is what's needed.

According to AccuWeather forecasters, the soil is so dry from ongoing conditions that it must first be soaked before it can replenish rivers and streams that feed into lakes and reservoirs.

While certainly every bit of rain helps, meteorologists think several months of moderate rain is the way to end the drought.

"The drought is much too extensive and too significant to be resolved by one storm," AccuWeather forecasters said. "However, the rain and wet snow will soak the dry leaves and brush, significantly reducing the existing threat of brush fires."