ITHACA - Spotty rain and a spate of record-breaking temperatures prompted the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University to declare a moderate drought Thursday for much of upstate New York.
The affected area stretches from the Finger Lakes region west to Buffalo and south to north-central Pennsylvania, according to Keith Eggleston, climatologist for the climate center in Ithaca, which has been drier than anywhere else in the Northeast.
"This drought is localized in the Allegheny Plateau," Eggleston said. "Fortunately, a lot of rain in June and a wet April helped prevent too much of a water deficit."
Eggleston said the last time this section of the country had drought conditions was in 2002.
Ithaca, in the midst of its hottest summer on record, received only 1.47 inches of rain from July 1 to Aug. 10, making it the third-driest summer in 111 years of record keeping. The city, located about 50 miles south of Syracuse in Tompkins County, had an average rainfall of 4.83 inches for that period. Syracuse, meanwhile, has received 4.6 inches, just below its norm of 5.23 inches.
Other hard-hit areas include Binghamton, which has received 2.27 inches of rain since the beginning of July, compared with its average of 4.69 inches, and Buffalo, which has received 2.6 inches, compared with its average of 4.4 inches.
Albany, on the other hand, received 7.55 inches of rain in that 41-day span, more than 2 inches above its average rainfall of 5 inches, making it the fifth-wettest summer on record for New York's capital city.
The Finger Lakes region in west-central New York is the second-largest wine region in the United States, with more than 10,000 acres of vineyards and nearly 100 wineries. So far, the dry weather hasn't had a detrimental effect.
"The rain has been spotty. It's very dependent on where the clouds are that particular day," said Dave Peterson of Swedish Hill Vineyard in Romulus. "There are people that have had adequate rain and others who have had significantly less than adequate."
Peterson, who's been in the Finger Lakes wine business for 36 years, said the lack of rain shouldn't present much of a problem.
"There's a light crop in general in this area, and because the crop is lighter, the vines can endure more drought," he said. "It's not going to cause as serious of a problem, and it's not highly unusual. It's happened before."
Even though very few of the vineyards in the Finger Lakes are irrigated, dry conditions aren't usually a worry because winemakers spread hay to keep the ground moist.
A dose of relief may be in sight. Scattered thunderstorms were forecast for the weekend in the Finger Lakes.
"We might have a few systems come in," Eggleston said. "Beyond that, we don't really have a terribly good idea about the rest of the summer and what the fall is going to bring us."
"This drought is localized in the Allegheny Plateau," Eggleston said. "Fortunately, a lot of rain in June and a wet April helped prevent too much of a water deficit."
Eggleston said the last time this section of the country had drought conditions was in 2002.
Ithaca, in the midst of its hottest summer on record, received only 1.47 inches of rain from July 1 to Aug. 10, making it the third-driest summer in 111 years of record keeping. The city, located about 50 miles south of Syracuse in Tompkins County, had an average rainfall of 4.83 inches for that period. Syracuse, meanwhile, has received 4.6 inches, just below its norm of 5.23 inches.
Other hard-hit areas include Binghamton, which has received 2.27 inches of rain since the beginning of July, compared with its average of 4.69 inches, and Buffalo, which has received 2.6 inches, compared with its average of 4.4 inches.
Albany, on the other hand, received 7.55 inches of rain in that 41-day span, more than 2 inches above its average rainfall of 5 inches, making it the fifth-wettest summer on record for New York's capital city.
The Finger Lakes region in west-central New York is the second-largest wine region in the United States, with more than 10,000 acres of vineyards and nearly 100 wineries. So far, the dry weather hasn't had a detrimental effect.
"The rain has been spotty. It's very dependent on where the clouds are that particular day," said Dave Peterson of Swedish Hill Vineyard in Romulus. "There are people that have had adequate rain and others who have had significantly less than adequate."
Peterson, who's been in the Finger Lakes wine business for 36 years, said the lack of rain shouldn't present much of a problem.
"There's a light crop in general in this area, and because the crop is lighter, the vines can endure more drought," he said. "It's not going to cause as serious of a problem, and it's not highly unusual. It's happened before."
Even though very few of the vineyards in the Finger Lakes are irrigated, dry conditions aren't usually a worry because winemakers spread hay to keep the ground moist.
A dose of relief may be in sight. Scattered thunderstorms were forecast for the weekend in the Finger Lakes.
"We might have a few systems come in," Eggleston said. "Beyond that, we don't really have a terribly good idea about the rest of the summer and what the fall is going to bring us."
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