Drought conditions are affecting almost the entire United States, with only one state unaffected as a dry autumn has left many areas parched.

In November, Kentucky became the 49th state to experience drought conditions, leaving Alaska as the sole drought-free state up to the week ending November 19, as reported by the U.S. Drought Monitor. States like Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and South Dakota reported that 100% of their land was under drought conditions.

According to Brad Pugh, a drought expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a “very dry” October combined with higher temperatures has contributed to this widespread drought.

Though it’s tricky to directly link drought to climate change, Lindsay Johnson, a climatologist from the National Drought Mitigation Center, mentioned that rising temperatures paired with longer warm periods elevate the risk of drought.

“It seemed like every state had broken some temperature record by July or August,” Johnson remarked. “With the intense heat, any precipitation becomes harder to absorb; rain might evaporate before it can benefit the soil.”

Pugh also noted that heavy rain expected in the Pacific Northwest within the next few weeks could help alleviate drought conditions there. A wet weather pattern anticipated to last through the end of November may also improve situations in the Midwest and Northeast.

“It’s likely this will halt the worsening of drought conditions,” Pugh added, “though it might not drastically improve them.”

This October was nearly 5 degrees warmer than the average for the 20th century, marking the second warmest and second driest October on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Following 13 months of record temperatures, climate scientists predict this year might culminate as the hottest on record.

Drought is a natural climate event, yet its duration and intensity can lead to serious consequences. These complications can include decreased agricultural yields, strained water supplies, impacted recreational activities, and negative health effects like respiratory problems due to dust exposure.

A drop in crop yields can lead to shortages, raising prices that consumers ultimately feel in their grocery bills.

“You might not notice it directly if you don’t work the land, but you’re still affected by it, and the costs will catch up with you,” said Johnson.

Northern Idaho is facing its second consecutive year of drought while still managing the impacts from the previous year’s dry conditions.

David Hoekema, a hydrologist with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, noted, “Agriculture in northern Idaho largely relies on rainfall, and this year the yields for spring crops, especially wheat, have been quite low.”

The 2018 hazard mitigation plan for the state identifies a range of immediate and long-term effects of drought, including rising unemployment, heightened farm credit risks, financial shortfalls, and eventual reductions in tax revenue.

Hoekema mentioned that water experts met recently to review the state’s water supply, and they hoped for upcoming weather patterns to bring some relief to northern Idaho.

In the neighboring state of Montana, drought conditions differ on each side of the Rockies.

According to Zachary Hoylman, the assistant state climatologist, eastern Montana is experiencing prolonged dry spells with few isolated rain showers that have not sufficiently replenished soil moisture, as the extreme aridity prevents moisture from penetrating deeply into the ground.

“The situation is steadily deteriorating,” Hoylman remarked.

Conversely, the western region has low snowpack from last year, compounded by warm, dry conditions that have led to reduced river flows. Hoylman expressed hope for recovery by next spring, saying, “We need a good snowpack and favorable spring conditions to drive any improvement.”

Officials in various states have already implemented drought watches and warnings, urging residents to conserve water. In New Jersey, reduced reservoir levels led the state to declare a drought warning while urging its largest water provider to promote water conservation among customers.

On Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York announced a statewide drought watch, raising the alert to a drought “warning” in 15 counties, including New York City, due to persistent low rainfall and decreasing levels of streamflow and groundwater. On November 2, New York City had already declared a drought watch, encouraging its 9 million residents to use water sparingly.

The drought has also resulted in a rise in wildfires nationwide, as dry plants facilitate the rapid spread of flames. A fire reported on November 8 near the New York-New Jersey border consumed thousands of acres and tragically claimed the life of an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter.

Currently, New York City’s reservoirs are at 20% below their average capacity, and the city anticipates receiving about 1.5 inches of rain this week.

According to Rohit Aggarwala, Commissioner of the City Department of Environmental Protection, while rain is a positive development for reducing fire risks, it doesn’t signify the end of the drought, given that the city has experienced a rain shortfall of 8.25 inches over the past three months.

“If we receive some light rain in the upcoming month, we may remain above an emergency situation for some time. However, if conditions revert to the extremely dry conditions we faced in October, we could find ourselves in an emergency situation sooner,” Aggarwala stated in a phone interview while he was driving through the city’s watershed in light rain on Thursday morning. New York City’s predominant climate change challenge has historically been flooding from severe rainfall.

“This extreme drought has emerged rapidly,” Aggarwala remarked.

While wetter conditions expected in the coming weeks may provide temporary relief in some regions, experts believe it will require prolonged periods of rainfall and snowfall to replenish depleted water supplies and soil moisture.

According to an expert from Montana, river flows on the western side of the state remain low, and while snowfall in the upcoming month or two could help, significant improvements won’t happen immediately.

“Recovery is unlikely until the next snowmelt season,” the expert noted.

In Idaho, agricultural conditions in the north may benefit from a storm that has impacted the West Coast recently.

“We have this beneficial atmospheric river hitting the west of us that should deliver significant precipitation, which is encouraging,” said Hoekema. “Given the La Niña conditions, it’s likely that northern Idaho will emerge from drought.”