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3

primary counties with USDA Drought Disaster Designations, according to USDA Farm Service Agency

~897,900

Delaware residents in areas of drought, according to the Drought Monitor

Change of
0.0%
since last week
1st

driest October on record (since 1895)

0.03 in.
total precipitation
Decrease of
3.10 in.
from normal
30th

driest January—October on record (since 1895)

32.72 in.
total precipitation
Decrease of
4.10 in.
from normal
Current Delaware Drought Maps

Drought & Dryness Categories
% of DE
0.0
0.0
63.0
37.0
0.0
100.0
Drought Change Since Last Week
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions

Experimental
Experimental

Drought in the Mid-Atlantic

The climate of the Mid-Atlantic is characterized by cold winters and warm, humid summers, though conditions vary considerably with the diverse topography of the region. While the focus of water management in the Mid-Atlantic is often on flooding and excess precipitation, drought can and does occur. Most states in the Mid-Atlantic regularly experience rapid-onset incidents of abnormally dry conditions and moderate drought. The 1960s multi-year drought “of record” for the region stretched from West Virginia to southern New England. Impacts from this drought included fish kills and salt water intrusion issues along the Delaware River Basin, as well as significant concerns about drinking water supplies in northern New Jersey and Delaware. Over the last few decades droughts in the region, such as in 1999–2002, have resulted in crop production losses, water use restrictions, and increased wildfire risk.

Across the Mid-Atlantic, annual precipitation is projected to increase over the next century. However, naturally occurring seasonal droughts will also continue to be a part of the climate, even if precipitation increases. Such droughts are projected to be more intense because of higher temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and loss of soil moisture.

NIDIS supports eight regional Drought Early Warning Systems (DEWS) throughout the United States. In addition, NIDIS supports states outside these regions, like Delaware, by delivering drought early warning information through Drought.gov; investing in drought research to address key scientific and societal needs; and supporting the development of new tools and products that serve the entire nation. 

Delaware State Drought Resources

Delaware Current Conditions

A number of physical indicators are important for monitoring drought, such as precipitation & temperature, water supply (e.g., streamflow, reservoirs), and soil moisture. Learn more about monitoring drought.

Delaware Precipitation Conditions

Inches of Precipitation
Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)
100%
Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)
100%

Delaware Temperature Conditions

Maximum Temperature (°F)
60
Departure from Normal Max Temperature (°F)
0
Departure from Normal Max Temperature (°F)
0

Delaware Streamflow Conditions

Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions

Delaware Soil Moisture Conditions

0–100 cm Soil Moisture Percentile
70
100
Soil Moisture Anomaly
0%

Outlooks & Forecasts for Delaware

Predicting drought in Delaware depends on the ability to forecast precipitation and temperature within the context of complex climate interactions. View more outlooks & forecasts.

Future Precipitation & Temperature Conditions

Predicted Inches of Precipitation
1.75
Probability of Below-Normal Precipitation
100%
Probability of Above-Normal Precipitation
100%
Probability of Below-Normal Temperatures
100%
Probability of Above-Normal Temperatures
100%

Drought Outlooks for Delaware

Drought Is Predicted To...
Drought Is Predicted To...

Historical Drought Conditions in Delaware

Drought is a normal climate pattern that has occurred in varying degrees of length, severity, and size throughout history. Below, you can look back at past drought conditions for Delaware according to 3 historical drought indices. The U.S. Drought Monitor is a weekly map that shows the location and intensity of drought across the country since 2000. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is a monthly depiction of drought based on precipitation (with data going back to 1895). And the paleoclimate data uses tree-ring reconstructions to estimate drought conditions before we had widespread instrumental records, going back to the year 0 for some parts of the U.S. View more historical conditions.

U.S. Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor (2000–present) depicts the location and intensity of drought across the country. Every Thursday, authors from NOAA, USDA, and the National Drought Mitigation Center produce a new map based on their assessments of the best available data and input from local observers. The map uses five categories: Abnormally Dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought (D1–D4). Learn more.

Drought Resources for Delaware

Stay Informed: Local Drought Updates

Drought Alert Emails
Get email updates when U.S. Drought Monitor conditions change for your location or a new drought outlook is released.

Dry Times Bi-Weekly Drought Newsletter
Issued every other Thursday, Dry Times is an email newsletter with the latest drought news, events, and data & maps.

NOAA Eastern Region Climate Services Webinars
The Northeast Regional Climate Center hosts a monthly webinar with NOAA affiliates to address timely weather and climate concerns.

Get Involved: Submit Local Drought Impacts

Drought in your area? Tell us how drought is impacting your community by submitting a condition monitoring report. Your submissions help us better understand how drought is affecting local conditions.