Drought in New Jersey, October 30 to 31, 2001

October 2001 was an unseasonably dry month across the state of New Jersey. The ongoing dry weather prompted the state Environmental Protection Commissioner to issue a drought watch for the entire state on October 30th. The declaration called on residents to voluntarily conserve water. By the end of the month, new Jersey reservoirs were about 10 percent below normal with groundwater levels declining and many streams approaching record low stream flow levels. The state also prohibited campfires in wooded areas (of state owned parks) unless they were kept in an elevated fireplace, grill or stove that was one foot above ground level. Charcoal grills must be located in an area cleared 10 feet in each direction of all organic material. The preliminary monthly precipitation average for the state was 0.92 inches, the sixth driest on record since 1895. The normal statewide average is 3.51 inches. On a county weighted average, monthly precipitation totals ranged between 0.5 and 1.8 inches, or between about 20 and 50 percent of normal. Other than Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean Counties, all of the other counties in the state had less than half their normal precipitation with the least precipitation in northwest New Jersey. The dry weather also led to wildfires. During the last weekend in October (the 27th and 28th), 69 wildfires burned 125 acres of forest. The monthly precipitation total of 1.00 inch at the Atlantic City International Airport was the 8th driest on record. The 0.99 inches of rain that fell at the Marina within Atlantic City was the 10th driest on record. Records at the Marina date back to 1874. The monthly precipitation total at Trenton was only 0.42 inches.