Drought Status Update for the Northeast

Despite rainfall from post-tropical storm Nicole, groundwater and long-term precipitation deficits persist in New England and southern New York.

For more details, see the Northeast Drought Early Warning System Dashboard.

Key Points

Severe Drought (D2) remained for communities north of Boston.
Moderate Drought (D1) was spotty through parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, southern New York, and Connecticut.
Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions were cleared from upstate New York by rains from the remnants of Nicole.
Six and twelve-month precipitation departures are still quite significant in some parts of southern New England.

U.S. Drought Monitor Conditions: Northeast | November 15, 2022

U.S. Drought Monitor

Current U.S. Drought Monitor map for the Northeast Drought Early Warning System with data valid for November 15, 2022. The U.S. Drought Monitor is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor:

Severe drought (D2) conditions exist in 0.35% of the region.
Moderate drought (D1) conditions exist in 2.73% of the region.
Abnormally dry (D0) conditions exist in 12.01% of the region.

Source(s): NDMC, NOAA, USDA

U.S. Drought Monitor Categories

Last Updated: 11/15/22

12.01%

of the Northeast is experiencing Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions

2.73%

of the Northeast is in Moderate Drought (D1)

4.84%

of Massachusetts is in Severe Drought (D2)

Current Conditions

U.S. Drought Monitor 1-Week Change Map

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a large area of western New York saw a 1-category improvement in the last week. — U.S. Drought Monitor change map, showing where drought and dryness have improved or worsened from November 8–15, 2022. Source: National Drought Mitigation Center.

Accumulated Precipitation Departure from Normal

Precipitation deficits at stations across the Northeast have slightly improved after weeks of degradations. However, Boston's precipitation deficits have continued to decrease. — Departure from normal precipitation (inches) for Portland Area, ME (*blue*), Concord Area, NH (*black*), Boston Area, MA (*green*), Providence Area, RI (*orange*), Bridgeport Area, CT (*purple*), Islip Area, NY (*red*), and Rochester Area, NY (*yellow*). Source: ACIS.

State-Reported Drought Conditions and Impacts

Connecticut

Connecticut Drought Information Center
Drought Impacts:
- November 11, 2022: Shelton Herald – Upgraded Water Treatment Plant Could Improve Water Sourcing During Drought

Connecticut Precipitation (Inches) by County: May–October 2022
County	Rainfall (in.)	Departure (in.)	Percent (%)	Normal (in.)
Litchfield	23.15	-4.05	85%	27.20
Hartford	22.35	-4.85	82%	27.20
Tolland	23.72	-1.59	94%	25.31
Windham	23.40	-2.07	92%	25.47
Fairfield	21.70	-4.82	82%	26.52
New Haven	23.25	-1.96	92%	25.21
Middlesex	25.28	-1.69	94%	26.97
New London	21.49	-3.29	87%	24.78

Connecticut Precipitation (Inches) by County: November 2021–October 2022
County	Rainfall (in.)	Departure (in.)	Percent (%)	Normal (in.)
Litchfield	44.89	-5.81	89%	50.70
Hartford	42.46	-8.46	83%	50.92
Tolland	44.46	-5.65	89%	50.11
Windham	45.03	-5.19	90%	50.23
Fairfield	39.75	-10.63	79%	50.38
New Haven	42.55	-6.15	87%	48.70
Middlesex	45.77	-5.72	89%	51.49
New London	41.20	-8.93	82%	50.13

Connecticut preliminary precipitation data (inches) by county through October 2022 (includes CoCoRaHS data) for the past 6 months (top) and 12 months (bottom). Source: National Weather Service: Boston/Norton, MA, Albany, NY, and Upton, NY.

Maine

Maine Drought Task Force

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force
Drought Impacts:
- November 10, 2022: The Boston Globe – Removing Historic Dam: Let the River Run
- November 9, 2022: MVTimes – Bees Impacted By Drought
- November 10, 2022: The Salem News – Drought and Water Bans Linger
- November 6, 2022: Greenfield Recorder – Effects of the Summer Drought

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services: Drought
Drought Impacts:
- November 10, 2022 The Eagle Times - Climate Change/Drought: Recreation and Tourism

New York

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC): Drought
Drought Impacts:
- November 15, 2022: DEC Week in Review – Prescribed Fire Burns and Wildland Fires Controlled In 8 Counties
- November 9, 2022: Tompkins Weekly – Drought Affecting Local Orchards
- November 9, 2022: City of Kingston, NY – Drought Emergency Lifted
- November 5, 2022: DEC Week in Review – Wildland Fires in 8 Counties

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Water Resources Board: Drought Management Program

Rhode Island Precipitation (Inches) by Drought Region: May–October 2022
Rhode Island Drought Region	Rainfall (in.)	Departure (in.)	Percent (%)	Normal (in.)
Northwest	25.56	-0.21	99%	25.77
Northeast	24.60	-0.16	99%	24.76
Central West	22.37	-2.44	90%	24.81
Central East	22.87	-0.73	97%	23.60
Eastern	19.78	-2.45	89%	22.23
Southern	21.41	-2.10	91%	23.51
New Shoreham	19.40	-3.90	83%	23.30

Rhode Island Precipitation (Inches) by Drought Region: November 2021–October 2022
Rhode Island Drought Region	Rainfall (in.)	Departure (in.)	Percent (%)	Normal (in.)
Northwest	48.98	-4.80	91%	53.78
Northeast	46.76	-4.90	91%	51.66
Central West	44.71	-6.06	88%	50.77
Central East	43.67	-6.64	87%	50.31
Eastern	38.90	-8.73	82%	47.63
Southern	42.79	-7.14	86%	49.93
New Shoreham	37.79	-10.61	78%	48.40

Rhode Island preliminary precipitation data (inches) by drought region through October 2022 (includes CoCoRaHS data) for the past 6 months (top) and 12 months (bottom). Source: Boston/Norton, MA Weather Forecast Office, National Weather Service.

Vermont

State of Vermont Emergency Operations Plan (PDF)

Outlooks

According to the Climate Prediction Center's 8–14 day outlook (valid November 25–December 1, 2022), odds favor below-normal temperatures and near-normal precipitation throughout the Northeast.
The week 3–4 outlook (valid November 26–December 9, 2022) favors above-normal temperatures and equal chances of above- and below-normal precipitation across the entire Northeast.

8–14 Day Temperature Outlook

From November 25 to December 1, odds favor below-normal temperatures across the Northeast. — NOAA Climate Prediction Center 8–14 day temperature outlook for the Northeast, showing the probability of above-normal, below-normal, or normal conditions from November 25–December 1, 2022. Source: Climate Prediction Center via the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.

8–14 Day Precipitation Outlook

From November 25 to December 1, there are equal chances of above- and below-normal precipitation across the Northeast. — NOAA Climate Prediction Center 8–14 day precipitation outlook for the Northeast, showing the probability of above-normal, below-normal, or normal conditions from November 25–December 1. Source: Climate Prediction Center via the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.

Temperature Outlook Week 3–4

From November 26 to December 9, odds favor above-normal temperatures for the Northeast. — NOAA Climate Prediction Center week 3–4 temperature outlook for the Northeast, showing the probability of above-normal or below-normal conditions from November 26–December 9, 2022. Issued November 11, 2022. Source: Climate Prediction Center.

Precipitation Outlook Week 3–4

From November 26 to December 9, there are equal chances of above- or below-normal precipitation throughout the Northeast. — NOAA Climate Prediction Center week 3–4 precipitation outlook for the Northeast, showing the probability of above-normal or below-normal conditions from November 26–December 9, 2022. Issued November 11, 2022. Source: Climate Prediction Center.

What We Are Watching

Urban Heat Mapping Campaigns

NOAA announced the application window for the Urban Heat Mapping Initiative.

Watch for a link in the next Drought Status Update to a recording of the Urban Heat Mapping results from 2022 campaign cities.

Featured Resources

Flash Drought Tools: Advantages and Disadvantages by Indicator Type
Flash Drought Prediction and Monitoring Tools
Experimental Rapid Onset Drought Product in the National Weather Service's Week-2 U.S. Hazards Outlook
- Learn more about this product
- Watch the November 8 stakeholder feedback webinar
New: Northeast DEWS Dashboard Groundwater Status Map
- This map is located under the "USGS Streamflow and Groundwater" section of the Dashboard. Access the percentile classes by clicking on the "USGS" tile below the groundwater map.
- This map is based on observations retrieved from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Instantaneous Values Web Service. Data include approved, quality-assured data, as well as more recent provisional data, whose accuracy has not been verified by USGS. USGS data are provided to meet the need for timely best science and on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the data.
- Station percentile values used in this map were computed by the Northeast Regional Climate Center. They are based on the historical data occurring within a 31-day window centered on the date of interest and filtered down to just the measurement taken closest to the date of interest for each year. These percentile values, therefore, may differ from those available from other sources, where other methods of percentile computation may have been employed.
New: USGS Water Cycle Diagram
- This tool is available in Spanish and English and as an educational resource with interactive versions for kids (beginner, intermediate, and advanced).
Northeast DEWS Partners meeting resources list

Additional Resources

Look back at previous Northeast DEWS Drought Status Updates
Your local National Weather Service office
NOAA Regional Climate Services Monthly Webinar Series (next webinar is on November 29)
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), CIRES

Samantha Borisoff, Jessica Spaccio, Keith Eggleston, Art DeGaetano
Northeast Regional Climate Center

Ellen Mecray
Regional Climate Services Director, Eastern Region, NOAA

David Hollinger
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.

Special Thanks

This drought status 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 status updates as conditions evolve.