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Regional Drought Update Date
July 1, 2021
Site Section
Drought Status Update

Drought Early Warning Update for the Northeast


DEWS Regions:
Update Status:

NIDIS and its partners will issue future drought early warning updates as conditions evolve.

Above-Normal Temperatures Overcome Spotty Precipitation in Most of the Region.

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

Key Points

  • Severe Drought (D2) expanded in Maine and New Hampshire
  • Moderate Drought (D1) expanded westward in Vermont.
  • Moderate Drought (D1) and Abnormally Dry Conditions (D0) held on in northern and western New York.
Current Conditions
U.S. Drought Monitor Conditions: Northeast | June 29, 2021

U.S. Drought Monitor Categories
Value Map Hex Color
D0 - Abnormally Dry #ffff00
D1 - Moderate Drought #ffcc99
D2 - Severe Drought #f5ad3d
D3 - Extreme Drought #ff0000
D4 - Exceptional Drought #660000

Main Stats
6.3%
of the Northeast is in Severe Drought (D2)
29.4%
of the Northeast is in Moderate Drought (D1)
30.2%
of the Northeast is Abnormally Dry (D0)

Current Conditions

7-Day Average Streamflows

Streamflows are below average across much of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and western Connecticut, Massachusetts, and areas in New York. Some waterways in Maine are setting daily low streamflow records.

7-day average streamflow conditions for the Northeast U.S. as of July 1, 2021.
7-day average streamflow conditions across the Northeast. Source: USGS WaterWatch via the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.

Annual Precipitation Departure from Normal

January - June 2021 departure from normal precipitation for Portland Area, ME, Concord Area, NH, Burlington Area, VT, and Buffalo Area, NY.
Year-to-date departure from normal precipitation for the Portland Area, ME (blue), Concord Area, NH (black), Burlington Area, VT (green), and Buffalo Area, NY (orange). Source: ACIS.

June 30 High Temperature Anomalies

  • Portland, Maine, reached a high of 95°F. The site recorded three consecutive days of 95°F or higher for the first time in June, tying its all-time streak.
  • Boston, Massachusetts, had a high of 100°F, tying as the site’s hottest June day on record. The most recent occurrence was in 1952.
  • LaGuardia Airport, New York, recorded a high of 100°F for only the fourth time in June on record, tying as the site’s third hottest June day.
  • Concord, New Hampshire had 9 days above 90°F this June, breaking the record of 8 days set in 1997.

State-Reported Impacts

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Outlooks

  • The 8-14 day outlook indicates above-normal temperatures for the region. Above-normal precipitation is favored for western Massachusetts and Connecticut and much of New York. Normal precipitation is favored for the rest of the region.
  • The 3-4 week outlook favors above-normal temperatures across the Northeast and equal precipitation chances for the region.

Temperature Outlook 8-14 Day

Climate Prediction Center 8-14 day temperature outlook for the Northeast from July 8-14, 2021.
NOAA Climate Prediction Center 8-14 day temperature outlook for the Northeast, showing the probability of above-normal, below-normal, or normal conditions from July 8-14, 2021. Source: Climate Prediction Center via the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.

Precipitation Outlook 8-14 Day

Climate Predication Center 8-14 day precipitation outlook for the Northeast, for July 8-14, 2021.
NOAA Climate Prediction Center 8-14 day precipitation outlook for the Northeast, showing the probability of above-normal, below-normal, or normal conditions from July 8-14, 2021. Source: Climate Prediction Center via the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.

Temperature Outlook Week 3-4

NOAA Climate Prediction Center week 3-4 temperature outlook for the Northeast U.S. Above normal temperatures are projected across the country
NOAA Climate Prediction Center week 3-4 temperature outlook for the Northeast, showing the probability of above-normal, below-normal, or normal conditions from July 10-23, 2021. Source: Climate Prediction Center.

Precipitation Outlook Week 3-4

NOAA Climate Prediction Center week 3-4 precipitation outlook for the Northeast U.S.
NOAA Climate Prediction Center week 3-4 precipitation outlook for the Northeast, showing the probability of above-normal, below-normal, or normal conditions from July 10-23, 2021. Source: Climate Prediction Center.

Additional Resources

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. 

Special Thanks

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.