Updated Drought Information Statement For Northern & Eastern Maine - 08/27/2020

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AXUS71 KCAR 272104

DGTCAR

MEC003-019-021-029-032115-

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME

504 PM EDT THU AUG 27 2020

SYNOPSIS...

DROUGHT CATEGORIES HAVE REMAINED THE SAME THE PAST WEEK ACROSS

NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE. SEVERE DROUGHT (D2) INCLUDES NEARLY 

ALL OF AROOSTOOK COUNTY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FAR WESTERN 

PORTION OF THE COUNTY ALONG THE QUEBEC BORDER. SEVERE DROUGHT  

ALSO INCLUDES MUCH OF NORTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY, EASTERN 

WASHINGTON COUNTY, AND MUCH OF PISCATAQUIS COUNTY.

PRECIPITATION DURING THE PAST 60 TO 90 DAYS HAS BEEN WELL BELOW 

AVERAGE AND HAS RANGED FROM 50 TO 75 PERCENT OF NORMAL, EXCEPT 

ACROSS FAR NORTHERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY AND EASTERN WASHINGTON

COUNTY WHERE IT HAS RANGED FROM ONLY 25 TO 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL. 

THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS HAVING CONTINUED FOR A FEW MONTHS. 

RAINFALL IN CARIBOU REMAINS AT RECORD LOWS SINCE THE MIDDLE OF 

MAY, WITH THE 2ND DRIEST GROWING SEASON ON RECORD IN HOULTON. 

THE SEVERE DROUGHT IS DUE TO LOW SOIL MOISTURE, LACK OF 

WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL, LOW STREAM FLOWS, AND DRYING 

VEGETATION. 

SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...

VERY LOW STREAM FLOWS ACROSS THE AREA WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO

GRAIN CROPS REPORTED. POTATO AND OTHER CROPS IN THE AREA NEED 

EXTENSIVE IRRIGATION. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF DUG WELLS 

RUNNING DRY IN PARTS OF SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY. MANY OF THE

LARGER RIVERS ARE AT NEAR RECORD LOW FLOWS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.

CLIMATE SUMMARY...

PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN WELL BELOW AVERAGE DURING THE PAST 60 TO

90 DAYS AND IS ONLY 25 TO 75 PERCENT OF NORMAL ACROSS THE REGION 

SINCE MAY 1ST, WITH THE GREATEST DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL ACROSS

THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY AND EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY.

PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...

A WEATHER SYSTEM COMBING WITH THE REMAINS OF HURRICANE LAURA MAY

BRING ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN TO THE REGION THIS WEEKEND WITH

LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THIS RAINFALL WOULD BE 

BENEFICIAL FOR THE MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS 

THE REGION. 

HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...

AVERAGE SEVEN DAY STREAM FLOW HAS BEEN WELL BELOW NORMAL AND IS

CURRENTLY RUNNING AT ONLY 15 TO 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL. THERE HAS

LOCALLY BEEN SOME MODEST IMPROVEMENT IN STREAM FLOW DURING THE

PAST WEEK DUE TO RECENT RAINFALL. STREAM FLOW IS EXPECTED TO RUN 

WELL BELOW AVERAGE DURING THE NEXT ONE TO TWO WEEKS. 

NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...

THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 15TH OR SOONER IF 

NECESSARY IN RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CONDITIONS.

&&

RELATED WEB SITES...

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS MAY BE FOUND

AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES...

US DROUGHT MONITOR...HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML

NOAA DROUGHT PAGE...HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.NOAA.GOV

CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC)...HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV

US DROUGHT MONITOR...HTTP://WWW.DROUGHTMONITOR.UNL.EDU

CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER...HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV

NORTHEAST REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTER...HTTP://WWW.NRCC.CORNELL.EDU

ADDITIONAL RIVER INFORMATION...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...HTTP://WATER.WEATHER.GOV

US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY...HTTP://WATER.USGS.GOV

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS...HTTP://WWW.USACE.ARMY.MIL

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...

THE DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING THE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL

INFORMATION...THE USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL CENTER CLIMATOLOGISTS

AND THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER. INFORMATION FOR THIS

STATEMENT HAS BEEN GATHERED FROM NWS AND FAA OBSERVATION SITES...

STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICES...THE USDA...USACE AND USGS.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT INFORMATION

STATEMENT...PLEASE CONTACT...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

810 MAIN ST

CARIBOU ME 04736

PHONE...207-492-0180

CARWEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV

$$

CB