Northeast Drought Update

October 8, 2026

U.S. Drought Monitor

New England saw the most changes this week, with conditions deteriorating in northern Maine and northern New Hampshire due to lack of precipitation, low streamflows, and record-low groundwater. Maine now has 41% of the state in severe drought. Recent rains allowed moderate drought to be reduced in southern New Hampshire and southern Maryland. The U.S. Drought Monitor released on October 8 showed 1% of the Northeast in extreme drought, 7% in severe drought, 14% in moderate drought, and 18% as abnormally dry compared to 1%, 2%, 18%, and 19%, 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 October 7, USGS 7-day streamflow ranged from record low in places like northern Maine and northern New Hampshire to record high in locations such as Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. USGS groundwater levels as of October 7 ranged from record low in several areas including southern Maine, southeastern Massachusetts, central New York, and southern Maryland to record high in spots like northern West Virginia and western Pennsylvania. There have been several reports of dry wells in Maine and farmers are concerned about crops. Water conservation continued to be encouraged in multiple locations, with some communities having mandatory water restrictions.

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

Seven-day precipitation amounts are forecast to range from a tenth of an inch in Maine to one and three quarter inches in southern Maryland. Moisture from Hurricane Isaias is expected to reach the Northeast region on Sunday.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) 8-14 day outlook for October 15-21 slightly favors below-normal temperatures for an eastern portion of the region from New Jersey to Maine, slightly favors above-normal temperatures for southern West Virginia, and favors near-normal temperatures for areas in between. The outlook favors near-normal precipitation for the entire region.

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