The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows the pace of drought improvement slowing across much of the Mid-Atlantic following several weeks of beneficial rainfall.
The newest map was released Thursday, September 3, and is based on conditions through Tuesday, September 1. While additional improvements were made across portions of New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania, much of the remainder of the Mid-Atlantic experienced a considerably drier week.
Heavy Rain Helps New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania
The most significant improvement this week occurred from parts of New Jersey into southeastern Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, locally more than 2 inches of rain fell in these areas. The rainfall helped increase streamflows while reducing some of the longer-term precipitation deficits that have developed over the past several months. As a result, additional areas of drought and abnormal dryness were improved on this week’s map…