Rain is coming. But will it be enough to end the drought?

Rain is in the forecast for New Jersey this weekend, but not quite enough to end the state’s record-setting drought.
Up to a half inch of rain is expected in areas of New Jersey on Sunday evening, forecasters from the National Weather Service said.
“Although, this certainly will not be enough to break the ongoing drought conditions, it will definitely be appreciable considering how dry it has been over the last 2 months,” forecasters said in a Saturday morning weather update.
The forecast for Saturday includes sunshine and high winds, with temperatures settling in the high 50s across most of New Jersey, forecasters said.
Windy conditions will build early Saturday to around 10-15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph, forecasters said.
Higher winds will trail off later in the day to around 5-10 mph, officials said.
Periods of light rain are expected to begin late Sunday as moisture associated with Tropical Storm Rafael sweeps through the region into Monday morning, according to forecasters.
Windy conditions could complicate controlling at least nine forest fires burning around the state as extreme drought conditions persist in areas of Atlantic, Ocean and Burlington counties.
New Jersey has not had meaningful rainfall in more than two months, with most of the state now in a severe drought and portions of at least three counties in a rare “extreme” drought, officials said.
Voluntary water conservation measures were recommended by the governor‘s office about two weeks ago as the lack of rain has complicated certain agricultural industries, including New Jersey’s cranberry harvest.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection also issued a Stage 3 fire ban in late October, which prohibits lighting any open fires.
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Matthew Enuco may be reached at [email protected]. Follow Matt on X