Photos: How Did Last Week's Weather Help New York Reservoirs?

It's been a wild few weeks in New York. In a matter of days, the state went from wildfire dangers to some of the weirdest winter weather patterns to hit the Hudson Valley... but what about the drought?

For months, water levels in the Hudson Valley have been falling. From private wells to massive reservoirs, the lack of any meaningful precipitation meant that some of the most important resources in the state were slowly disappearing. Then, it snowed and rained.

An unexpected snowfall in the Hudson Valley led many residents to hope it was the beginning of the end of the local drought (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Snow and Rain Finally Fell in New York State

Over the last ten days, there has been snow or rainfall in New York State nearly every single day, with the majority of rain focused around Thanksgiving. But was it enough to help restore the dismal levels at local reservoirs?

Did the recent rain and snow in the Hudson Valley do enough to restore low water levels at local reservoirs? (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Did Recent Rain Help Local Reservoir Levels?

While more rain will certainly need to fall before levels return to "normal", recent photos at Chadwick Lake in Newburgh, NY (below) show that there have been at least some slight improvements.

Water levels at Chadwick Lake in Newburgh, NY have slightly improved between October (L) and December (R) 2024 (TSM Poughkeepsie/Canva)

Water Levels at Chadwick Lake in Newburgh, NY

Chadwick Lake Park, which is also currently the site of a massive multi-million dollar construction project, is of course most famous for its namesake lake. With many residents reporting the water levels being the lowest in memory (below), it was encouraging to at least see some progress.

Many Newburgh residents believe the water levels at Chadwick Lake are the lowest in memory (TSM Poughkeepsie)

The Hudson Valley Still Has a Drought Warning

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), the Mid-Hudson Valley (with the exception of Columbia County) is still the driest area in the state and remains under a "drought warning".

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Drought warnings mean that residents are still only "encouraged" and not mandated to conserve water, although several cities and towns across the Hudson Valley have taken extra measures to control water usage. Currently, there is a chance of more rain on Wednesday December 4th.