A release from the state Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday, Jan. 2, said that the extreme drought conditions plaguing large areas of the state have eased some, but not enough to change the state designation of being under a drought warning. Cape May County and most of the rest of South Jersey remain in extreme drought.
For the state as a whole, conditions of extreme drought now cover one-third of the land area, as opposed to half last week. The most persistent extreme drought conditions remain in the coastal areas.
The release says that recent rain and snowfall have generally helped water supply conditions across the state. The accumulations, however, were not enough to alter the conditions, and the public is urged to continue voluntary water conservation practices.
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that what relief the state has seen has been largely in the north and along the Delaware River. Much of the south, including 100% of Cape May County, remains in extreme drought, the second-highest level of drought intensity.
