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Regional Drought Update Date
July 14, 2023
Site Section
Drought Status Update

Drought Early Warning Update for the Northeast


DEWS Regions:
Update Status:

NIDIS and its partners will issue future Northeast Drought Early Warning Updates as conditions evolve.

Too Much Rain Relief in Some Areas

For more information, visit the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.

Key Points

  • Moderate Drought (D1) persisted in areas where rainfall was spotty and light and the more significant thunderstorms moved on quickly. On Long Island, most real-time and 7-day streamflows remained below normal. Western New York real-time streamflows were mixed.
  • Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions remained for northern New York near the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Mohawk River, a few counties just north of New York City, and west of the Finger Lakes.
  • Most of the Northeast DEWS region will see additional rain in the coming week, with possible continued improvement in drier areas.
  • For additional details on the recent extreme rainfall event, please see the "Climate News" section on the Northeast Regional Climate Center homepage.
     
Current Conditions
U.S. Drought Monitor | Northeast

U.S. Drought Monitor Categories
Drought Degradation
Drought Improvement

Current Conditions

7-Day Streamflow Conditions

As of July 13, 7-day streamflows are near to above normal across much of the Northeast, with many sites at record highs across New Hampshire and Vermont.
7-day averaged streamflow conditions at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the Northeast, compared to historical conditions for the same day of the year. Valid July 13, 2023. Source: U.S. Geological Survey via the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.

Groundwater Levels

Groundwater levels are near to above normal in much of the Northeast. Below-normal groundwater is present in the southern portion of the region (Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey).
U.S. Geological Survey groundwater data for New England, showing the percentile of the most recently measured groundwater levels relative to long-term monthly statistics. Updated July 13, 2023. Source: U.S. Geological Survey via the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.

State-Reported Conditions and Impacts

Connecticut

Maine

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

New York

Rhode Island

Vermont

Northeast

Find additional impacts through the National Drought Mitigation Center’s Drought Impact Reporter

Visit the new Drought.gov state pages for additional maps and resources. Or, find local drought information by address, city or zip code on Drought.gov. 

Outlooks

8–14 Day Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks: July 20–26

Near-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation should keep drought in check throughout the region during this period.

From July 20-26, odds favor near-normal temperatures across New York and New England.
8–14 day temperature outlook, showing the probability (percent chance) of above-, below-, or near-normal temperatures across the Northeast from July 20–26, 2023. Issued July 12, 2023. Source: Climate Prediction Center via Drought.gov.
From July 20 to 26, odds favor above-normal precipitation for New York and New England.
8–14 day precipitation outlook, showing the probability (percent chance) of above-, below-, or near-normal temperatures across the Northeast from July 20–26, 2023. Issued July 12, 2023. Source: Climate Prediction Center via Drought.gov.

Week 3–4 Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks: July 22–Aug. 4, 2023 (Issued July 7, 2023)

Temperatures will range from below-normal in western New York to above-normal for most of New England. Above-normal precipitation chances should hold off any immediate return to dryness in New England. Areas with existing dryness/drought in the region may improve slightly or remain about the same for the month.

For July 22 to August 4, odds favor above-normal temperatures for most of New England, and below-normal temperatures for western New York.
Week 3–4 temperature outlook, showing the probability (percent chance) of above- or below-normal temperatures across the U.S. from July 22–August 4. Issued July 7, 2023. Source: Climate Prediction Center.
For July 22 to August 4, odds slightly favor above-normal precipitation across much of the Northeast, with equal chances of above- or below-normal precipitation for inland New York and New England.
Week 3–4 precipitation outlook, showing the probability (percent chance) of above- or below-normal precipitation across the U.S. from July 22–August 4. Issued July 7, 2023. Source: Climate Prediction Center.

Featured Research

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), CIRES

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

Ellen Mecray
Regional Climate Services Director, Eastern Region, NOAA

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.