Drought causing lawns to turn brown in Northern Erie, Niagara, Genesee and Orleans County

Drops of water falling out of the sky in Northern Erie, Niagara, Orleans and Genesee Counties have become a rare spectacle these past few months. So rare, lawns are turning from green to brown and can even be seen on the satellite photo below.

Using satellite imagery taken a few days ago, we can make out some of the driest communities in all of Western New York. The brownest lawns in Western New York are located in Niagara County, from North Tonawanda to areas along the shores in Wilson. 

Take the lawn pictured above as an example in one of the hardest hit areas in all of Western New York. There's barely a patch of green on it. To put things in perspective, Niagara Falls has only received .14 inches of rain this month. The average is for the entire month of July is just over 3 inches.

From lawns to fishing, Dewitt Pond in Batavia is at one of its lowest water levels in years. Most of the pond is usually submerged under water. However, because of the dry conditions in Genesee county, you can now walk out to an island that most take a boat to get to. 

Most of Western New York is experiencing moderate drought conditions. Don't expect the next round of showers and t-storms to put a dent in the drought on Thursday. And if you're left out of the mix there, nature provides another window of opportunity on Friday, especially for folks living in Niagara and Orleans County.