Updated Drought Information Statement For Northern & Eastern Maine - 09/03/2020

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AXUS71 KCAR 031837

DGTCAR

MEC003-009-019-021-029-101845-

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME

237 PM EDT THU SEP 3 2020

SYNOPSIS...

DROUGHT CATEGORIES HAVE MODESTLY IMPROVED DURING THE PAST WEEK

ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE. THIS IS THE DIRECT

RESULT OF A RAIN EVENT ON AUGUST 29TH THAT PRODUCED AROUND AN INCH

OF RAIN. THERE WERE SOME LOCATIONS ALONG THE HANCOCK AND

WASHINGTON COUNTY COASTS THAT OBSERVED UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN.

THERE WAS A SMALL AREA IN SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK COUNTY THAT ONLY

RECEIVED AROUND ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN. SEVERE DROUGHT 

(D2) INCLUDES NEARLY ALL OF EASTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY. SEVERE 

DROUGHT ALSO INCLUDES MUCH OF NORTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY, FAR

NORTHERN 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. THE VERY

DRY CONDITIONS HAVING CONTINUED FOR A FEW MONTHS. RAINFALL SINCE

JUNE 1ST RANKS AS THE 2ND DRIEST ON RECORD IN CARIBOU AND THE

ALL-TIME DRIEST 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 50 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...

NO WIDESPREAD RAINFALL IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.

TEMPERATURES DURING THE NEXT 1 TO 2 WEEKS ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE

ABOVE NORMAL.

HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...

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

CURRENTLY RUNNING AT ONLY 25 TO 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL. THERE HAS 

LOCALLY BEEN SOME MODEST IMPROVEMENT IN STREAM FLOW DURING THE 

PAST WEEK DUE TO THE RAINFALL IN LATE AUGUST. 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