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

Drought Early Warning Update for the Northeast


DEWS Regions:
Update Status:

These Northeast DEWS drought updates will be published monthly for the first quarter of 2021.

Keep watch on winter precipitation and lingering dryness.

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

Key Points

  • Moderate Drought (D1) expanded somewhat in northeastern Vermont and persisted in portions of northern New York.
  • Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions held for small portions of coastal and northwestern Maine, portions of Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. 
  • Moderate Drought (D1) has not persisted through the month of January since 2017.
  • States are closely monitoring winter season precipitation and groundwater.
Current Conditions
U.S. Drought Monitor Conditions: Northeast DEWS | January 26, 2021

U.S. Drought Monitor Categories

Main Stats
8.2%
of the Northeast DEWS is experiencing Moderate Drought (D1) or worse
23.7%
of the Northeast DEWS is experiencing Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions or worse

2020 Drought in Review

The U.S. Geological Survey's New England Water Science Center released a report on the 2020 drought.

Snowfall Departure

Snowfall departure from normal map of the Northeast DEWS, showing departure (in inches) from normal snowfall from January 1-28, 2021. Many areas had below-normal snowfall (some areas -12 inches ore more below normal) during this period, including parts of eastern and southern New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Vermont, and southern Maine.
Snowfall departure from normal, January 1-28, 2021. 

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

Special Thanks

 

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.