November rain fails to end 'moderate drought'

Despite the 2 inches of rain that helped snarl Long Islanders' pre-Thanksgiving getaways, the month of November still registered a slight precipitation deficit, making it the fifth month in a row with rainfall in the red, according to National Weather Service data.

With "a measly" 4.86 inches of precipitation, it was the second driest meteorological fall -- that's September through November -- on record at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, with 4.02 inches the record set in 2001, said Tim Morrin, weather service meteorologist based in Upton.

That leaves the Island still in the "moderate drought" category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which pointed to below-normal rainfall as a factor. That's the least intense of the four drought levels.

A total of 2.81 inches was recorded for the month at MacArthur Airport, just 0.86 of an inch shy of the norm, the weather service said. That's including the 2.06 inches that fell there on Nov. 26 to 27, just as travelers were heading to their turkey day destinations.

Since Sept. 1, there's been a 6.18-inch precipitation deficit at the airport, and an 8.76-inch deficit since Jan. 1, the service said.

So, what's ahead? As of Tuesday's forecast, three precipitation "events" are expected in the coming week, with the first, off-and-on light rain, running Thursday night into early morning Saturday, Morrin said. That's to be followed by rain later Saturday, and a third event Sunday afternoon into midday Monday, he said.