Northeast Drought Status

Wildfires Burn and Water Levels Drop as Drought Intensifies
While the record-long streak of consecutive days without measurable rainfall came to an end at most locations, the amount of rain that actually fell was negligible and did little to help the current drought situation. Precipitation deficits between September 1 and November 12 ranged from 6 to 9 inches below normal for multiple locations closer to the coast like Baltimore (6.94-inch deficit), Philadelphia (7.92-inch deficit), Newark (7.83-inch deficit), Central Park (8.32-inch deficit), Hartford (8.95-inch deficit), and Boston (6.68-inch deficit). This coastal zone saw drought conditions intensify or persist again this week.

• Exceptional (D4) drought contracted but lingered in West Virginia for the 12th consecutive week.
• Extreme (D3) drought spread in southern New Jersey.
• Severe (D2) drought expanded in an area from Pennsylvania and New Jersey up to Massachusetts.
• Moderate (D1) drought increased in coverage in Maryland and West Virginia.
• Abnormal dryness continued to expand in interior locations.
• Only 4% of the Northeast was free of drought and abnormal dryness, the third lowest percentage since the U.S. Drought Monitor began in 2000.
• The number of wildfires was unusually high in most states.
• Record low or near-record low streamflow and/or groundwater levels, as well as declining reservoir levels, continued.
• Coastal areas are expected to see limited precipitation over the next seven days (November 14-21), meaning drought relief may be limited.

The NRCC’s full weekly drought update can be found here.

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