Updated Drought Information Statement For Northern & Eastern Maine

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AXUS71 KCAR 202151

DGTCAR

MEC003-019-021-029-272200-

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 551 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2020

SYNOPSIS...

DROUGHT CATEGORIES HAVE EXPANDED ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE. SEVERE DROUGHT (D2) HAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE NEARLY ALL OF AROOSTOOK COUNTY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FAR WESTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY ALONG THE QUEBEC BORDER. SEVERE DROUGHT NOW 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 INCREASE IN AREAS IN D2...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...

THE LONGER RANGE OUTLOOKS FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER CALLS FOR TEMPERATURES TO AVERAGE NEAR NORMAL AND FOR AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION, WHICH WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS. 

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 AUGUST 31ST OR SOONER IF NECESSARY IN RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CONDITIONS.

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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