Northeast Drought Update

Posted September 10, 2026

U.S. Drought Monitor

Improvements continued in the Mid-Atlantic this week. Pennsylvania became free of severe drought for the first time in a year. Severe drought was also erased from Delaware, while moderate drought and/or abnormal dryness contracted in each of the five Mid-Atlantic states. Patches of abnormal dryness also eased in parts of northern New York and southern Rhode Island. However, conditions deteriorated further in northern New England. Severe drought spread in southern Maine, while moderate drought and/or abnormal dryness expanded in places like western Maine, central New Hampshire, and northeastern Vermont. The U.S. Drought Monitor released on September 10 showed 3% of the Northeast in severe drought, 17% in moderate drought, and 21% as abnormally dry compared to 3%, 15%, and 25%, respectively, last week. Noticing impacts from dry conditions in your area? Reports can be submitted online via the Condition Monitoring Observation Reports (CMOR) website.

For more information on drought in NY & New England see the Northeast DEWS Dashboard and to learn more about assessing drought in the United States watch this video.

Precipitation

Total precipitation for the last week.

Percent of normal precipitation for the last 30-day and 90-day periods.

Percent of normal precipitation for the last 6-month and 1-year periods.

Water Resources

As of September 8, USGS 7-day streamflow was below normal or lower in a few places including central Maryland, coastal New Jersey, northern New York, and northern New England, with some record low flows in Maine. However, streamflow was normal or higher for much of the Northeast. USGS groundwater levels as of September 8 generally ranged from record low in several areas including central Maryland, parts of New Jersey, eastern Massachusetts, and southern Maine to record high in spots like western Pennsylvania and western New York. There have been a few reports of dry wells in Maine. Water conservation continued to be encouraged in multiple locations, with some communities like having mandatory water restrictions. In early September, water levels at a reservoir in Baltimore County, MD, were 20 feet below average due to prolonged drought conditions, causing a boat launch to be closed.

7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow from USGS WaterWatch

A network of wells to monitor the effects of droughts & other climate variability on groundwater levels. USGS Groundwater Data

State Declarations

Outlooks

Precipitation amounts for September 10-17 are forecast to range from less than a tenth of an inch in portions of northern New England to over 2 inches in parts of West Virginia. A stalled front is expected to bring wet weather to southern parts of the Mid-Atlantic into Friday, with high pressure building across northern parts of the Northeast. As that high pressure moves out on Saturday, a storm system will overspread the Northeast bringing a chance of showers, particularly on Sunday. High pressure briefly visits on Monday, with a few storms systems bringing wet weather Tuesday through Thursday.

The short-term outlooks for September 17-23 predict above-normal precipitation for the Northeast. With below- or near-temperatures expected in northern areas, this could pause deterioration in some places. Above-normal temperatures are favored for the Mid-Atlantic, with potential improvements in locations that see notable rainfall amounts or conditions remaining unchanged in areas that see less.

The maps on this page, and additional drought resources, can also be found on the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.