© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Connecticut's Drought Persists Despite Late Summer Storms

Jeroen Moes, Wikimedia Commons
"Without snow, we had no water in the ground to begin with in the spring."
Mary Concklin

Most of Connecticut remains in a moderate to severe drought, despite the recent storms. In an average year, many areas would have seen at least eight inches more rain at this point in the season. 

Farmers say rainfall in the last couple of weeks has helped save some vegetable and corn crops, but it’s not enough to save them from expensive irrigation work, and they expect yields to be low. The state issued its first drought advisory in six years in late June and it remains in force.

Mary Concklin is a fruit crop specialist at the University of Connecticut's Department of Plant Science. She told WNPR this year got off to a bad start even before the dry summer hit.

"We had no snow over the winter," said Concklin. "And without that snow, we had no water in the ground to begin with in the spring, whereas the year before, we had so much snow at least we started off before the drought with some groundwater."

She said the recent storms are welcome, but they're not nearly enough to make up the deficit.

"Some places have had maybe one to two inches, and that's great for them. They're still in a drought, but at least it helps get things growing," Concklin said. "Other places have had maybe a quarter of an inch to a half inch total - barely enough to wet the dust."

Meanwhile homeowners are facing some tough choices in the yard, as they struggle to keep things looking green. Horticulturist Tom Christopher said over the longer term those concerned about the look of their lawns should experiment with longer rooted grass varieties, but they also shouldn't be afraid to see grass turn brown in dry spells.

"Just let it go dormant in the summer. Grasses were evolved to do that, and they're very tough," Christopher said on WNPR's Where We Live. "If you can accept a more natural look in your lawn, you won't have to pour drinking water all over your lawn to keep it chilled down and cool."

Connecticut is not alone. Other parts of New England are seeing their driest conditions in more than a decade.

Harriet Jones is Managing Editor for Connecticut Public Radio, overseeing the coverage of daily stories from our busy newsroom.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content