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Regional Drought Update Date
November 30, 2020
Site Section
Drought Status Update

Drought Early Warning Update for the Northeast


DEWS Regions:
Update Status:

Weekly, while drought conditions persist

Recent rains have been helpful. All eyes are on groundwater recovery. 

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

  • Continuing improvements in northern Maine where Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions eased.
  • Southern and coastal Maine continued to be impacted by Extreme Drought (D3) and Severe Drought (D2).
  • Groundwater and soil moisture reports continued to support Extreme Drought (D3) status in southern New Hampshire.
  • Southeast New England (including the Cape and Islands) retained some Severe Drought (D2) characteristics.
  • Status quo in much of New York with minor improvements in western New York near the Pennsylvania border.
Current Conditions

U.S. Drought Monitor Conditions: Northeast |

November 24, 2020
Main Stats
1%
of the Northeast is experiencing extreme drought (D3)
5%
of the Northeast is experiencing severe drought (D2)
43%
of the Northeast is experiencing moderate drought (D1)
25%
of the Northeast is experiencing abnormally dry conditions (D0)

State Reported Impacts

New Hampshire

Indoor and outdoor water conservation is still encouraged in New Hampshire.

Outlooks

  • The 8-14 day maps indicate above-normal temperatures for most of Maine into northern New Hampshire and Vermont and normal temperatures for the rest of the Northeast. Below-normal precipitation is predicted for all of the Northeast.
  • The 3-4 week outlook favors above-normal temperatures for the Northeast and above-normal precipitation for the region except western New York, where equal chances for above- or below-normal precipitation is favored.

Temperature Outlook 8-14 Day

NOAA Climate Prediction Center 8-14 day temperature outlook for the Northeast U.S. Above normal temperatures are projected for parts of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
8-14 day temperature outlook for the Northeast U.S. from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Valid for December 7 - 13, 2020. 

Precipitation Outlook 8-14 Day

NOAA Climate Prediction Center 8-14 day precipitation outlook for the Northeast U.S. Below normal precipitation is projected for most of the region.
8-14 day precipitation outlook for the Northeast U.S. from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Valid for December 7 - 13, 2020. 

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.
A 3-4-week temperature outlook for the U.S. from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Made November 27, 2020. Valid for December 12 - 25, 2020. 

Precipitation Outlook Week 3-4

NOAA Climate Prediction Center week 3-4 precipitation outlook for the Northeast U.S. Below normal precipitation is projected across much of the Southern U.S. and above normal precipitation is expected in parts of the Northeast and Pacific Northwest.
A 3-4-week precipitation outlook for the U.S. from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Made November 27, 2020. Valid for December 12 - 25, 2020. 

Current CPC Outlooks: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

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.