Northeast News

More Rain Needed to Bust Drought, but Little Expected
The Northeast saw beneficial rainfall last week, but for many areas, the precipitation only provided a temporary reprieve from intensifying conditions. In northern New England and parts of New York, significant drought impacts continued and drought conditions expanded. Notable drought conditions and impacts also persisted in parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, but several areas in these states did see some relief from heavy rain. Current outlooks indicate limited relief on the horizon.

• All of Vermont remained in drought for a record-setting fifth consecutive week (since the U.S. Drought Monitor began in 2000).
• New Hampshire had its highest coverage of extreme drought in the history of the U.S. Drought Monitor (since 2000) at 32.80%.
• Extreme drought grew in Maine, while severe and moderate drought was introduced/expanded in parts of New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
• Streamflow, groundwater levels, and soil moisture remain well below normal for several areas, and the agriculture community continued to report significant impacts.
• Little, if any, rain is expected during the next five days as of October 2.
• Short-term outlooks (as of October 1) favor above-normal temperatures with near-normal precipitation for most of the Northeast, with a section of western New York and western Pennsylvania predicted to be wetter.

For the latest information, visit 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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