Dry October, but no threat to reservoirs in N.J.

Unlike the moisture packed by Hurricane Sandy last year and the freak snowstorm the year before, this October was dryer than usual in New Jersey.

Average precipitation in the Garden State last month was 2 inches below normal, said state climatologist Dave Robinson.

But the state’s reservoirs are still in good shape thanks to a wet summer, Robinson said.

While there is no threat of a drought, there is an increased risk of brush fires.

“There’s certainly a danger when you get this dry and at this time with a lot of leaves on the ground, and we’ve had a hard frost already so the grasses are drying out,” he said.

The warm start to November really doesn’t indicate what the winter will be like.

“There’s really no burning signal out there this year. No El Nino event in the tropical Pacific Ocean, no real pattern setting up in the Northern Hemisphere circulation that gives you a real good hint of what this winter might be,” Robinson said.