Northeast Drought Early Warning Update

Drought Early Warning Update for the Northeast October 23, 2020 Improvement this week but drought conditions still persist.

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. This covers the following states in the Northeast U.S.: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York. For more details, see the Northeast Drought Early Warning System Dashboard.

Key Points Rain relief was fairly widespread in New England resulting in the reduction of drought intensity and coverage. Extreme Drought (D3) remained in southwest Maine, southeast New Hampshire, southeast Rhode Island, and southeast Massachusetts. Severe Drought (D2), Moderate Drought (D1), and Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions covered most of the rest of New York and New England.

State Reported Impacts

Maine A new declaration from Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue covers 14 of the state's 16 counties. https://www.pressherald.com/2020/10/20/citing-drought-usda-declares-most-maine-farmers-eligible-for-disaster-relief/ Connecticut Federal disaster declaration will help farmers. https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/connecticut-approved-for-federal-disaster-designation-due-to-drought/2348060/ Hartford Courant 10/17/20: Striking images capture what the drought looks like in Connecticut. https://www.courant.com/climate/hc-news-climate-connecticut-drought-2020-photographs-20201017-arpj2mfdmzeh7ffh6aye5wni3e-story.html New Hampshire Fire ban is lifted. https://www.nhpr.org/post/state-lifts-ban-smoking-campfires-near-woodlands-after-wet-spell#stream/0 Rhode Island Federal disaster declaration will help farmers. https://turnto10.com/news/local/ri-farmers-may-qualify-for-federal-drought-assistance

Current Conditions

U.S. Drought Monitor Conditions Extreme drought (D3) conditions exist in 4% of the Northeast. Severe drought (D2) conditions exist in 11% of the Northeast. Moderate drought (D1) conditions exist in 53% of the region. Abnormally dry (D0) conditions exist in 20% of the region.

October 20, 2020, U.S. Drought Monitor Map: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

Outlooks The 8-14 day outlooks favor below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation for the Northeast. The 3-4 week outlooks favor equal chances for above or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. Temperature Outlook 8-14 Day

Precipitation Outlook 8-14 Day

Temperature Outlook Week 3-4

Precipitation Outlook Week 3-4

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

Additional Resources Northeast DEWS Dashboard: http://nedews.nrcc.cornell.edu/ NOAA Regional Climate Services: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-information/regional Your local National Weather Service office: https://www.weather.gov/srh/nwsoffices NOAA Regional Climate Services Monthly Webinar Series (October 29 next webinar): http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/workshops/webinars/2020/09/index.html USDA Northeast Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/northeast/drought-map  USGS/New England and New York Water Science Centers: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/new-england-water and https://www.usgs.gov/centers/ny-water

Contacts for More Information Sylvia Reeves Regional Drought Information Coordinator (Northeast DEWS) NOAA/CIRES/National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Email: [email protected] Ellen L. Mecray Regional Climate Services Director, Eastern Region NOAA/NESDIS/National Centers for Environmental Information Email: [email protected]

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.

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