The U.S. Drought Monitor reported that while all of Massachusetts is abnormally dry, about 60% is experiencing a moderate drought and another 25% -- … The state continues to intensely monitor and assess the drought situation, and any associated environmental, municipal and agricultural impacts. Drought conditions have been worsening in parts of Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Thursday's update puts 91.78 percent of the state under at least a "moderate drought" with 61.7 percent of the state under a "severe drought." At a Level 2 – Significant Drought, conditions are becoming significantly dry and warrant an emphasis on water conservation and more stringent watering restrictions. Then in 1962 eastern Massachusetts dried up. It began in 1960 in western Massachusetts, where precipitation was below average. Worcester Drought Restrictions Begin Monday - Worcester, MA - Starting Oct. 5, residents and businesses will need to start conserving water amid a local and region-wide drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor analysis as of Sep. 22, 2020 shows virtually all of New England in drought of varying severity. NORTH SHORE — The drought has improved but still not disappeared from northeastern Massachusetts, according to the weekly update from the U.S. Drought Monitor. According to the latest U.S. drought monitor, which remains unchanged from last week, most of western Massachusetts is now in the “abnormally dry” category with parts of … Vermont’s drought conditions haven’t been as severe, but almost all of the state is at least abnormally dry, the monitor reported. The amount of precipitation at a particular location varies from year to year, but over a period of years, the average amount is fairly constant. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday that 6.8% of the state — most of Bristol County and a sliver of western Plymouth County — is under an "extreme" drought while 30.4% of … “Extreme drought continued to spread into more of southern New Hampshire, eastern Massachusetts, and Connecticut,” the drought monitor, which is based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), said. Reservoirs hit all-time lows and by fall of 2016, a large swath of Massachusetts reached level 4 (extreme drought) on the drought monitor. The 1965 Drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor kept Rhode Island in the "Extreme Drought" category Thursday and even expanded this area into parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The 1965 drought actually occurred during 1961-69, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A Level 1 – Mild Drought, as outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, warrants detailed monitoring of drought conditions, close … Extreme drought, the second highest category of drought… Massachusetts is abnormally dry right now, and most of the state is experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, according to the United States Drought Monitor. Photo credit: U.S. Drought Monitor. Task Force officials also noted a patchwork of drying conditions in other pockets across the state, although it did not warrant a drought declaration at those regions. And on Thursday, the US Drought Monitor was reporting that parts of southeastern Massachusetts were one level higher, at extreme drought. The number of Massachusetts residents in drought areas has gone down from roughly 6.4 million in early October to around 5.5 million as of Thursday, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor… ADVERTISEMENT. Management strategies The Northeast is home to nearly half of the U.S. population. The state continues to intensely monitor and assess the drought situation, and any associated environmental and agricultural impacts. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday that 6.76 percent of the state — most of Bristol County and a sliver in western Plymouth County — is under an "extreme" drought … A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems. Significant Rain Coming As MA Mired In Relentless Drought - Boston, MA - Potential thunderstorms could provide some much-needed relief to Massachusetts. Drought Worsens in Parts of Northeast Large parts of Northeast now face extreme drought conditions, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday. This map shows that the recent drought of 2016 has affected much of the state. In the Millers and Charles River basins, drought indices show a condition worse than that in the rest of their respective regions, leading to a declaration of a Level 3 – Critical Drought in the watersheds. At a Level 2 – Significant Drought, as outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, conditions are becoming significantly dry and warrant detailed monitoring of drought conditions, close coordination among state and federal agencies, emphasis on water conservation, more stringent watering restrictions, and technical outreach and assistance for the affected municipalities. In the deserts of the Southwest, the average precipitation is less than 3 inches per year. The drought monitor data is released by the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) on Thursday for the week ending Tuesday. This leaves all of eastern and central Massachusetts in severe drought, the third highest drought category issued by the Drought Monitor. According to the Drought Monitor, all of Massachusetts is "abnormally dry" or worse except for Nantucket. Broad-scale drought conditions across Massachusetts as of the start of the water year (September 27, 2016). Vermont’s drought conditions haven’t been as severe, but almost all of the state … As rain continues to miss much of Massachusetts, drought conditions are worsening in parts of the Bay State, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The current drought would have to … The rest of the Northeast got little rain or snow. “A new area of extreme drought was also introduced in western Maine, as even with the recent precipitation, indicators were still the driest in this region,” it added. Parts of Northeast Connecticut, far northern Maine and southern parts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts are now classified as contending with extreme drought, which is a higher classification and the service’s second highest category, the drought monitor reported on Thursday. Note that this map shows broad-scale drought conditions, and local conditions may vary. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday that 6.8% of the state — most of Bristol County and a sliver of western Plymouth County — is under an "extreme" drought while 30.4% of … A larger swath of the southeastern part of Massachusetts is now in an extreme drought… Due to months of below-normal rainfall, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) declared a Level 2 – Significant Drought in all seven regions of the Commonwealth. At a Level 2 – Significant Drought, as outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, conditions are becoming significantly dry and warrant detailed monitoring of drought conditions, close coordination among state and federal agencies, emphasis on water conservation, more stringent watering restrictions, and technical outreach and assistance for the affected municipalities. The Drought Monitor is … Affecting Central and Northeast Massachusetts, a Drought Watch is a more severe level of drought and represents extremely low groundwater and stream flow levels resulting from a precipitation deficit of nearly 10 inches during the past 12 months. 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