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Dry, Dry October!

October 2024 ranked as the all-time driest month on record for eight of the Northeast's 35 major climate sites. It was the first month on record that Newark, Philadelphia, and Wilmington did not see measurable precipitation. This October ranked as the driest October on record for two sites. Dryness stretched back to September, with Wilmington and Islip having back-to-back record dry months for the first time on record. Additionally, Newark and Philadelphia saw their longest streak of days without measurable precipitation, which could continue to grow in November.

Read more in the NRCC Blog



West Virginia Drought Status

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Drought Expands in West Virginia; Record-Setting Dryness in the Northeast
Exceptional and extreme drought persisted in West Virginia this week, continuing to cover 38% of the state. This is the 16th consecutive week with extreme (D3) or worse drought conditions in the state, extending the state’s record-long such stretch. Severe and moderate drought expanded slightly this week, with drought conditions encompassing 90% of the state, up 2% from last week. Abnormal dryness also persisted, covering the remaining 10% of the state. Precipitation deficits since the start of summer, June 1, range from 4.66 inches below normal in Beckley to 9.17 inches below normal in Charleston. This October 1-30 period ranked as the second-driest such period on record for Beckley, Charleston, and Huntington, with the sites each seeing 0.27 inches or less of precipitation. If these sites do not receive measurable precipitation on October 31, this October will become one of the six all-time driest months ever observed at these sites since their records began in the late 1890s. This exceptional dryness extends to other parts of the Northeast. For instance, sites like Philadelphia, PA, and Newark, NJ, have not seen measurable precipitation this month, are on track to have their all-time driest month on record, and have set records for longest streak of days without measurable precipitation. The NRCC’s full weekly drought update for the entire Northeast can be found here.

Topsoil moisture declined in West Virginia this week, with USDA data showing 89% of West Virginia having topsoil moisture in the very short-short categories for the week ending October 27 compared to 77% last week. The condition of corn, hay, pastures, and soybeans in West Virginia also declined compared to last week, with all remaining in the very poor, poor, and fair categories, with none of these crops in the good or excellent categories for the week ending October 20 – similar to the past few weeks. Pasture and rangeland conditions worsened slightly in West Virginia, being in the poor or very poor categories for 96% of the state compared to last week’s 92%. Streamflow and groundwater levels were below normal or lower in several locations. The extremely dry conditions have increased the risk of wildfires.

Two cold fronts moving through over the next week could provide some precipitation to the Mountain State. Otherwise, high pressure is expected to be the main weather influencer, keeping conditions dry. The seven-day precipitation forecast from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center shows 0.50” of precipitation or less for the state. The 6-10-day outlook (November 5-9) from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center favors near-or above-normal precipitation, along with above-normal temperatures. This could chip away at drought conditions if enough precipitation falls. However, for the 8-14-day period (November 7-13), near-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures are predicted, which may limit drought relief. For winter, La Niña conditions are expected to emerge, which tends to increase storminess and lead to above-normal precipitation for the Ohio Valley, possibly helping ease drought conditions. The NRCC’s full weekly drought update can be found here and drought impacts can be reported here and viewed here.




Website Highlights

Weather Station Data

Weather Station Data includes location-specific information, such as wind data, evapotranspiration, and daily almanacs.


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CLIMOD 2 is a user-friendly website to find single-station and multi-station climate products for locations accross the country. For example, the Seasonal Ranking report produces a graph and table of extremes or other summaries for a specified period for each year.

Go to CLIMOD 2

State & Regional Analyses

These provide several map types, regional climate summaries, snow survey data, and drought information.


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The Monthly Maps offer a variety of monthly precipitation and temperature departure maps for any given month for the Northeast region or a selected state.

Go to Monthly Map page

Analyses for Industry

Analyses for Industry shows products the NRCC has created through partnerships with various industries.


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Recent Extreme Precipitation Changes in the Northeast U.S. compares the amounts and return periods of extreme precipitaiton events to a past reference year.

Go to Extreme Precipitation Page

Climate Change Resources

Climate Change Resources includes normal difference maps as well as climate links.


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Climate Links offer an abundance of resources for the Northeast across multiple sectors …

Go to Climate Change Resources page

Webinars & Workshops

Webinars & Workshops provides recordings and presentations from the monthly webinar series, as well as information on past and upcoming workshops.


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The Northeast Regional Climate Center hosts a monthly webinar series with NOAA affiliates to address timely weather and climate concerns.

Go to Monthly Webinars

Publications & Services

Publications & Services includes the NRCC blog, quarterly outlooks, as well as other reports and publications.


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The Quarterly Outlooks are seasonal climate highlights and outlook for the upcoming season for the Eastern, Region, Great Lakes, and Gulf of Maine. Published in March, June, September and December.

Go to Quarterly Reports