Northeast News
Conditions Improve in Multiple Locations
The U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday, October 22 showed drought and/or abnormally dry conditions improved in multiple parts of the Northeast but deteriorated in Maine over the past week. There were generally limited changes elsewhere in the region.
- Severe drought expanded in northern Maine.
- Moderate drought contracted in Vermont and New Hampshire.
- Abnormal dryness was removed from Connecticut and eased in portions of New Jersey, western Massachusetts, central Vermont, and northern New York.
- Connecticut became free of drought and abnormal dryness for the first time since September 2024.
- Record-low seven-day streamflow was mostly confined to Maine.
- Groundwater levels were record low in several areas including southern Maine, southeastern Massachusetts, central New York, southern New Jersey, and southern Maryland.
- The short-term outlooks for October 27-31 predict below-normal precipitation and near- to above-normal temperatures for the Northeast, conditions that warrant observation for possible deterioration in some northern parts of the region.
Latest from the NRCC
Climate summaries, outlooks, and news for the Northeast.
October Kicks Off with Warm Weather
Temperatures were warmer than normal during the first half of October for most of the Northeast, ranking among the 20 warmest such periods on record for 20 major sites. Precipitation amounts ranged from less than 25% of normal to over 200% of normal, allowing drought to intensify in some areas and improve in others. It was among the 20 wettest starts to October for seven major sites.
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The ABCs of September
It was quite wet for portions of the Mid-Atlantic, southeastern New York, and southern New England, with Islip, NY, having its wettest September on record. This wetness allowed drought to improve. However, parts of northern New England and upstate New York were drier, with Caribou, ME, having its fifth-driest September. This dryness allowed drought and abnormal dryness to expand. While New England was cooler than normal by as much as 2°F, much of the rest of the Northeast was warmer than normal, with the greatest departures approaching 6°F above normal.
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Maine Mesonet
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