Learn more. The colors represent real-time streamflow compared to percentiles of historical daily streamflow for the day of the year. of people in Middlesex County are affected by drought 74% since last week 84% since last month 32nd wettest September on record, over the past 128 years 1.21 inches from normal 17th driest year to date over the past 128 years (January-September 2022) 5.46 inches from normal Learn more about these stats Current Conditions for Middlesex County This map shows the departure from normal maximum temperature (F) over the past 30 days, compared to usual conditions for the same time period averaged from 19912020. In other words, when farmers like Dave Dumaresq began their season this summer, they may have already been at a hydrological disadvantage. A circle with the radius of 20 pixels identifies: A circle with the radius of 16 pixels identifies: A circle with the radius of 12 pixels identifies: A circle with the radius of 8 pixels identifies: Advancing Drought Early Warning through Interdisciplinary Research, National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring Network, NIDIS Drought and Wildland Fire Nexus (NDAWN), National Weather Service Drought Information Statements, Temperature (30-Day Departure from Normal), Get Alerts When Local Drought Conditions Change, Crop growth is stunted; planting is delayed, Fire danger is elevated; spring fire season starts early, Irrigation use increases; hay and grain yields are lower than normal, Specialty crops are impacted in both yield and fruit size, Producers begin feeding cattle; hay prices are high, Warnings are issued on outdoor burns; air quality is poor, Crop loss is widespread; Christmas tree farms are stressed; dairy farmers are struggling financially, Well drillers and bulk water haulers see increased business, Water recreation and hunting are modified; wildlife disease outbreak is observed. So its a big, big loss.. Humidity, soil moisture, the rate at which surface water evaporates, even how much water plants suck in through their roots and exhale as vapor it all matters. October 7, 2022: Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Bethany Card declared Normal conditions in the Western Region, a Level 2 - Significant Drought in the Northeast, Cape Cod and Islands regions, and a Level 1 - Mild Drought in the Connecticut River Valley, Central and the Southeast region. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information produce the 9-month SPI values below on a monthlybasis, going back to 1895. The Living Blended Drought Product (LBDP) is a recalibrated data series of June-July-August Palmer Modified Drought Index (PMDI) values in the lower 48 U.S. states. This product is an example of currentNIDIS-funded research. The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country using a five-category system, from Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions to Exceptional Drought (D4). "It's just crazy . Learn more. Driven primarily by a lack of rain, approximately 90% of the state is now experiencing some level of drought, according to the Executive. Drought, the experts all agree, is a complicated phenomenon. National Integrated Drought Information System, people in Middlesex County are affected by drought, of people in Middlesex County are affected by drought, wettest September on record, over the past 128 years, driest year to date over the past 128 years (January-September 2022). Current Drought Status. And in the meantime, hes just hoping it rains. acres of hay in drought (D1D4) in Middlesex County (estimated), acres of haylage in drought (D1D4) in Middlesex County (estimated), acres of none in drought (D1D4) in Middlesex County (estimated), number of sheep in drought (D1D4) in Middlesex County (estimated), number of cattle in drought (D1D4) in Middlesex County (estimated), percent of streamflow sites that are below normal in Massachusetts, percent of streamflow sites that are above normal in Massachusetts, percent area of Massachusetts with above normal precipitation probability this month, percent area of Massachusetts with below normal precipitation probability this month, Heat Warning issued by the National Weather Service, Air Quality Warning issued by the National Weather Service, Link to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's homepage, Browse by Regional Drought Early Warning System (DEWS). Mohammad Hannan, who farms on 7 acres in Lincoln, says hes lost more than half an acre of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and beans so far. This summers drought is reminiscent of the 2020 and 2016 droughts. This map uses the gridMET and PRISM temperature datasets. Since the last update in June, the drought in several regions has become more acute. The Outlook predicts whether drought will persist, develop, improve, or be removed over the next three months or so. Dumaresq, the founder and owner of Farmer Daves a 100-acre mostly organic farm says that with so little rainfall this summer, he feels like hes playing God with the fate of his plants. Learn more. This summer's drought is reminiscent of the 2020 and 2016 droughts. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Dupigny-Giroux says its helpful to think about the hydrological system as one of supply and demand. The site is secure. Temperature data are updated daily, with a delay of 3 to 4 days to allow for data collection and quality control. Back on Dumaresqs farm, that rings true. Farmersin the Connecticut River Valley are reporting drier than normal soils, while some in the northeast region are already seeing crop failures. But while drought is part of the New England climate, things have changed over the last decade. Rethink your lawn. Some experts have started calling droughts like the one the Northeast is currently experiencing flash droughts. While theres debate in the scientific community about how precisely to define a flash drought, in general, its used to describe a drought that comes on rapidly and only lasts for a short period of time. The state is divided into seven regions, and each is assigned a level based on criteria like precipitation, ground water levels, stream flow and wildfire risk. Thats not to say that drought is a recent phenomenon in the Northeast. Miriam Wasser Twitter Senior Reporter, Climate and EnvironmentMiriam Wasser is a reporter with WBUR's climate and environment team. You can try, All of Massachusetts is officially in a drought, Worcester urges indoor water limits amid drought, The drought in Mass. The ongoing drought in Massachusetts is getting worse. This kind of year-to-year variability that we see in precipitation seems to be becoming more pronounced, Boutt says. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. The state has released the following water use recommendations for residents and businesses: The state's website has more information on indoor and outdoor water conservation practices. Learn more. To review a complete summary of the drought conditions, select here for the full DPW update.Click here for More Information. Get timely updates on local drought conditions, outlooks, and impacts from NIDIS and its partners. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. NIDIS supports drought research through advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms that lead to drought as well as improving the coordination and delivery of drought information. But the next two are a crapshoot. Learn more. Its just crazy, Dumaresq says. So do rainfall patterns and human development. October 7, 2022: With several recent precipitation events in September that directly benefited Massachusetts' hydrological systems, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Beth Card today announced that drought conditions have improved in all regions of the state, and made the following drought declarations . The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is an index to characterize meteorological drought on a range of timescales, ranging from 1 to 72 months. He staggers the planting and harvesting, and has gotten two decent pickings so far. The blends are created using the Climate Engine tool, and apply the CPC weighting ratios to the high-resolution gridMET gridded research dataset. The corn falls into that latter category. Limit outdoor watering to 1 day a week, and only water between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. when less water will be lost to evaporation. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources says that farmers across the state are struggling with this years drought. Learn more. This 1-month outlook depicts whether there is a greater chance for above-normal, below-normal, or near-normal precipitation conditions in this region. He knows others are not so fortunate. The task force includes state and federal scientists, as well as representatives from several industry, water management and environmental groups. On a hot dry morning in August, he peers over the rocky edge of one of the man-made ponds. Learn more. Similarly, the more we pave over the ground with impermeable surfaces, the less rainwater makes its way to underground aquifers. This product is an example of currentNIDIS-funded research. Learn more. Already this summer, farming in New England is a game of risk, a series of on-going calculations and tough decisions. Many have reported significant crop losses or seen their hay fields dry up. Perhaps one bit of good newsto come from the meeting was the news that no drinking water supplies are threatened at the moment. The ongoing drought in Massachusetts is getting worse. Were basically at the point now where were selecting which crops to continue to grow and which crops to basically allow to suffer, he says. NIDIS is a multi-agency partnership that coordinates drought monitoring, forecasting, planning, and information at national, state, and local levels across the country. A multi-agency partnership that coordinates drought monitoring, forecasting, planning, and information at national, state, and local scales. I'm not watering those last two plantings, he says. They also are more complicated than simply a lack of precipitation. Parts of the northeast that typically get about 9 inches over June, July and August have gotten a fraction of that. Below average rainfall is the main cause of a drought, but its not the only metric the state uses to determine whether a region belongs in a given level. When we think about droughts in the Northeast, they present differently than in the Midwest or in the West, says Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, the Vermont state climatologist and a professor at the University of Vermont. Consider switching to more efficient toilets, faucets and showers that use less water. It's not necessarily abnormal for New England to experience several months of drought there were statewide droughts in 2021 and 2020. The SPI is the number of standard deviations that observed cumulative precipitation deviates from the climatological average. Intensity and Impacts None D0 (Abnormally Dry) D1 (Moderate Drought) D2 (Severe Drought) D3 (Extreme Drought) D4 (Exceptional Drought) No Data - Delineates dominant impacts In a warmer world, weather extremes like severe drought, record rainfalls and heatwaves are getting more extreme. Learn more. And an expensive one too. Hes not alone. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. The data are updated every 5 days, with a delay of 4 to 5 days to allow for data collection and quality control. What New England has to worry about are the flash droughts in the summer, says Zobel of the Woodwell Center. Luckily for him, he has other full-time work. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Over the summer, demand for water rises as people and plants use more and higher temperatures cause more evaporation. EEA Secretary Bethany Card agreed with the suggestions. Location Drought Level; Acton : Abnormally Dry: Dave Celino, the states Chief Forest Fire Warden, said that while the number of forest fires is relatively low at the moment, hes worried that will change as vegetation dries out. So you have the increased labor costs, you have the increased fuel costs, and then you also have the increased maintenance costs and purchase cost of replacement equipment, he says. So if I were to say what I think is going on from a deep water perspective, [were in] at least a three-year drought, she says.