Northeast News

Drought Worsens in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
The U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday, February 12 showed some expansion of drought and/or abnormally dry conditions in the Northeast. This was due to factors such as growing precipitation deficits, well below normal groundwater levels, and colder-than-normal temperatures that kept beneficial water locked up in the snowpack. For much of the Northeast, though, conditions were unchanged.

• Severe drought was introduced in northeastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey.
• Moderate drought expanded in southeastern Pennsylvania and western Massachusetts.
• Abnormal dryness increased in coverage in southern New England.
• Seven-day streamflow was normal or lower across the Northeast.
• Reservoir and/or lake levels remained below normal in places like New Jersey.
• Groundwater levels were normal or lower for much of the region, with record low levels present in 10 of the 12 states.
• The short-term outlooks for February 17-25 predict near- or above-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures for the Northeast, which could keep conditions from deteriorating or possibly provide some relief.

For more information, see the Northeast DEWS Dashboard (to see the full Northeast, click on the grayed-out Pennsylvania in the map in the top left) and the Northeast Drought Update. Submit drought impact reports via the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) page.

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