Updated Drought Information Statement For Northern & Eastern Maine - 09/17/2020

 000

AXUS71 KCAR 172136

DGTCAR

MEC003-009-019-021-029-242145-

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME

536 PM EDT THU SEP 17 2020

SYNOPSIS...

DROUGHT CATEGORIES HAVE EXPANDED AND DETERIORATED DURING PAST

WEEK IN AROOSTOOK COUNTY. AN AREA OF EXTREME DROUGHT (D3) WAS

ADDED ACROSS A PORTION OF CENTRAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY AND A SMALL

PORTION OF EXTREME NORTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY. THIS WAS A DIRECT 

RESULT OF CONTINUED VERY DRY WEATHER DURING THE FIRST HALF OF

SEPTEMBER. 

SEVERE DROUGHT (D2) INCLUDES NEARLY ALL OF EASTERN AND NORTHERN 

AROOSTOOK COUNTY AND WAS EXPANDED WEST TO NEAR FORT KENT. SEVERE 

DROUGHT ALSO INCLUDES MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL 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 DRIEST ON RECORD IN CARIBOU AND HOULTON.

THE SEVERE TO EXTREME 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 NEGATIVE IMPACTS

ON THE POTATO, BLUEBERRY, AND APPLE CROPS DUE TO THE DROUGHT 

CONDITIONS. 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...

GENERALLY DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THERE IS

MORE UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER HURRICANE TEDDY OR THE REMAINS OF

THE STORM MAY BRING RAIN TO PARTS OF THE REGION BY THE MIDDLE OF

NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE BELOW AVERAGE DURING

THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. 

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. 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 26TH 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