Nearly all of New Jersey is now experiencing “severe” or “moderate” drought. The latest maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor show the conditions have spread to parts or all of 15 of the state’s 21 counties. The worst of it is covering all of Middlesex and Union counties, along with most of Somerset County. “Severe” drought is also hitting more of South Jersey, including all of Cape May County, most of Cumberland and parts of Atlantic.
It means fire danger is elevated and the hard times continue for farmers, with crop growth stunted. According to the National Weather Service, the next chance for rain won’t come until late Sunday or Monday, with drought expected to persist into the fall. This July was the 13th driest on record in more than 120 years. For more information, check out the drought map here.
