Monitoring and preparing for a possible continuation of the 2020 Northeast drought.
For more details, see the Northeast Drought Early Warning System Dashboard.
Key Points
- Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions were expanded in northern New York, southern Vermont, and western Massachusetts.
- Moderate Drought (D1) held on in the northern Connecticut River valley (especially on the Vermont side).
- Moderate Drought (D1) also held on in northern New York.
- Seven-day streamflows were below normal from western New Hampshire down to their coastline, Vermont, eastern New York, and western and central Massachusetts.
- As of the February monthly status report, the majority of groundwater reporting stations in New Hampshire registered a drop in their levels.
Current U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for the Northeast Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) with data valid for March 9, 2021. The USDM is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country. Drought categories show experts’ assessments of conditions related to dryness and drought including observations of how much water is available in streams, lakes, and soils compared to usual for the same time of year.
According to the latest USDM:
- Moderate Drought (D1) conditions exist in 6.9% of the region.
- Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions exist in 30.1% of the region.
U.S. Drought Monitor Categories
Current U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for the Northeast Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) with data valid for March 9, 2021. The USDM is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country. Drought categories show experts’ assessments of conditions related to dryness and drought including observations of how much water is available in streams, lakes, and soils compared to usual for the same time of year.
According to the latest USDM:
- Moderate Drought (D1) conditions exist in 6.9% of the region.
- Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions exist in 30.1% of the region.
State-Reported Impacts
- States are closely monitoring hydrological conditions and the temperature/precipitation outlooks.
- Massachusetts and Connecticut recently held drought committee meetings with Massachusetts considering a drought level change for their western region.
- In New Hampshire, the Department of Environmental Services (DES) is requesting water systems and municipalities prepare for potential drought in 2021.
- In Maine, experts say that without a spring recharge, dry conditions may be expected from late spring into summer.
Additional Resources
- Northeast DEWS Dashboard
- NOAA Regional Climate Services
- Your local National Weather Service office
- NOAA Regional Climate Services Monthly Webinar Series (next webinar is on March 30)
- USDA Northeast Climate Hub
- USGS New England and New York Water Science Centers
Contacts for More Information
Sylvia Reeves
Regional Drought Information Coordinator (Northeast DEWS)
NOAA/CIRES/National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)
Email: sylvia.reeves@noaa.gov
Ellen L. Mecray
Regional Climate Services Director, Eastern Region
NOAA/NESDIS/National Centers for Environmental Information
Email: Ellen.L.Mecray@noaa.gov
Prepared By
Sylvia Reeves
NOAA/National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)
Samantha Borisoff, Jessica Spaccio, Keith Eggleston, Art DeGaetano
Northeast Regional Climate Center
Ellen Mecray
Regional Climate Services Director, Eastern Region, NOAA
David Hollinger and Maria Janowiak
USDA Climate Hubs
Gardner Bent
USGS/New England Water Science Center
In partnership with National Weather Service Offices of the Northeast and State Climate Offices of the Northeast.
This drought early warning update is issued in partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to communicate concern for drought expansion and intensification within the Northeast U.S. based on recent conditions and the forecasts and outlooks. NIDIS and its partners will issue future drought early warning updates as conditions evolve.
