000
AXUS71 KCAR 022122
DGTCAR
MEC003-009-019-021-025-029-092130-
DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
522 PM EDT THU SEP 2 2021
.SYNOPSIS AND DROUGHT INTENSITY...
DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE DETERIORATED DURING THE PAST WEEK ACROSS
PORTIONS OF NORTHERN MAINE. PLEASE VISIT THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR
AT WWW.DROUGHTMONITOR.UNL.EDU FOR A VISUAL DEPICTION OF THE
DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE STATE.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS TO THE AREA OF MODERATE DROUGHT
(D1) WHICH WAS EXPANDED TO THE EAST TO INCLUDE ALL OF PISCATAQUIS
COUNTY AND INTO PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PENOBSCOT COUNTY.
THIS EXPANSION WAS DUE TO PRECIPITATION DEFICITS DURING THE PAST
30 TO 90 DAYS, LOW SOIL MOISTURE, AND BELOW NORMAL STREAMFLOW
ACTIVITY. ACCORDING TO THE USGS, STREAMFLOW ACTIVITY ON THE EAST
BRANCH OF THE PENOBSCOT RIVER WAS IN THE 8TH PERCENTILE.
DURING THE PAST 14 DAYS, PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN HIGHLY VARIABLE
ACROSS THE REGION. THE MOST WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION FELL WITH
THE REMAINS OF A TROPICAL SYSTEM (HENRI) ON AUGUST 23-24 THAT
LOCALLY PRODUCED OVER 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK
COUNTY, COASTAL HANCOCK COUNTY, PARTS OF COASTAL WASHINGTON
COUNTY, AND IN PARTS OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PENOBSCOT COUNTY.
FOR THE 14 DAY PERIOD ENDING ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, PRECIPITATION
RANGED FROM 130 TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL IN SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK
COUNTY AND ALONG COASTAL HANCOCK COUNTY. THERE WAS A SMALL AREA
OF NEAR AVERAGE PRECIPITATION THAT EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL HANCOCK
COUNTY NORTH INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY.
ELSEWHERE, PRECIPITATION WAS MOSTLY ONLY 25 TO 70 PERCENT OF
NORMAL. PRECIPITATION WAS LESS THAN 25 PERCENT OF NORMAL ACROSS
NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK COUNTY AND NORTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY. DUE TO
THE NATURE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, SOME LOCAL BASINS
RECEIVED MORE OR LESS PRECIPITATION THAN DESCRIBED ABOVE.
.PRECIPITATION...
PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST RANGED FROM 25 TO 75 PERCENT
OF NORMAL ACROSS THE REGION. THE ONLY AREAS WITH ABOVE AVERAGE
PRECIPITATION WERE ACROSS PARTS OF HANCOCK COUNTY, EXTREME
SOUTHEAST PENOBSCOT COUNTY, AND A SMALL PORTION OF SOUTHEAST
AROOSTOOK COUNTY WHERE RAINFALL WAS 100 TO 130 PERCENT OF NORMAL.
FOR THE METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER (JUNE THROUGH AUGUST), PRECIPITATION
RANGED FROM 100 TO 130 PERCENT OF NORMAL DOWNEAST AND INTO
NORTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY, AND FROM 50 TO 90 PERCENT ACROSS THE
REMAINDER OF NORTHERN MAINE. ACROSS FAR NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK COUNTY
PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM 25 TO 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL.
SINCE JUNE 1ST, 8.81 INCHES OF RAIN WAS OBSERVED AT CARIBOU. A
TOTAL OF 13.58" OF EVAPORATION WAS OBSERVED. IT IS IMPORTANT TO
NOTE THAT THIS IS A SLIGHT UNDERESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL EVAPORATION
AS READINGS WERE NOT TAKEN ON JUNE 1-5.
.HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS...
RIVER FLOWS: REMAIN WELL BELOW TO BELOW AVERAGE FOR THIS TIME OF
YEAR. THE GREATEST DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL ARE ON THE PISCATAQUIS
RIVER WITH FLOW OF ONLY 4 TO 14 PERCENT OF NORMAL. THE
PISCATAQUIS RIVER AT DOVER-FOXCROFT WHICH HAS 118 YEARS OF RECORD
WAS THE LOWEST ON RECORD FOR AUGUST 26TH.
ON THE SAINT JOHN RIVER WITH VALUES IMPROVED A BIT THIS WEEK AND
ARE NOW RUNNING FROM 28 TO 40 PERCENT OF NORMAL. ELSEWHERE,
VALUES RANGED FROM 20 TO 28 PERCENT OF NORMAL ON THE AROOSTOOK
AND ALLAGASH RIVERS. ON THE PENOBSCOT RIVER, CONDITIONS
DETERIORATED IN THE PAST WEEK AND NOW RANGE FROM 32 TO 53 PERCENT
OF NORMAL. FINALLY, ON THE MATTAWAMKEAG CONDITIONS ALSO
DETERIORATED IN THE PAST WEEK AND ARE 56 PERCENT OF NORMAL AT
MATTAWAMKEAG.
SEVEN TO 14 DAY STREAMFLOWS VARY SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE REGION.
THEY ARE NEAR NORMAL ACROSS MOST OF HANCOCK AND WASHINGTON
COUNTIES, AND ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS A SMALL AREA THAT EXTENDS FROM
FAR NORTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY INTO SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK COUNTY.
ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE REGION STREAMFLOWS ARE EITHER BELOW OR WELL
BELOW NORMAL, AND EXTREMELY LOW IN SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS COUNTY.
GROUNDWATER AND WATER STORAGE (LAKES/RESERVOIRS): A LONG-TERM
IMPACT OF THE DROUGHT IS LOWER GROUNDWATER LEVELS. GROUNDWATER
LEVELS ARE VERY SLOW TO RESPOND, AND ALSO CAN BE VERY SLOW TO
RECOVER. MOST LAKES AND RESERVOIRS ACROSS THE REGION ARE RUNNING
BELOW SEASONAL NORMAL VALUES ACROSS THE REGION, ESPECIALLY ACROSS
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN AREAS WHERE RAINFALL DEFICITS ARE GREATEST.
GROUNDWATER CONDITIONS ARE CURRENTLY WELL BELOW NORMAL ACROSS
NORTHERN MAINE AND CLOSER TO NORMAL ACROSS EASTERN MAINE. WELLS
IN MILLINOCKET AND CLAYTON LAKE REGISTERED RECORD LOWS FOR THE
MONTH OF AUGUST BASED ON PERIODS OF RECORD THAT GO BACK 30-40
YEARS.
.SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...
WATER RESOURCES: NONE AT THIS TIME. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REPORTS
OF PRIVATE WELLS THAT HAVE RUN DRY IN AROOSTOOK AND PENOBSCOT
COUNTIES, BUT THE LOCATION OF THESE WELLS IS UNKNOWN. WE ARE NOT
AWARE OF ANY COMMUNITY WATER RESTRICTIONS IN OUR REGION AT THIS
TIME.
WILDFIRE CONDITIONS: THE MAINE FOREST SERVICE HAS REPORTED
THAT WILDFIRE ACTIVITY IS NEAR NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR
AFTER AN ACTIVE START TO THE FIRE WEATHER SEASON THIS SPRING.
AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS: GIVEN THE EXPANSION OF MODERATE DROUGHT
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AGRICULTURAL AREAS OF THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY
IRRIGATION OF MANY CROPS HAS BEEN REQUIRED. THERE HAS NOT BEEN AS
MUCH STRESS ON POTATO AND OTHER LOCAL CROPS SUCH AS BROCCOLI
COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR, BUT SOME CROPS THAT ARE NOT
RECEIVING IRRIGATION ARE FAILING.
.DROUGHT MITIGATION ACTIONS...
THE STATE OF MAINE HAS ACTIVATED ITS DROUGHT TASK FORCE. HYDRO
OPERATORS ARE MONITORING CONDITIONS AND BALANCING NEEDS OF LAKE
LEVELS, HYDROELECTRIC POWER GENERATION NEEDS, AND DISCHARGES TO
MAINTAIN STREAM FLOW AND RECREATION NEEDS DOWNSTREAM.
IN RESPONSE TO ESCALATED DROUGHT, THE MAINE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
AGENCY HAS PUBLISHED AN ONLINE SURVEY FOR HOME OWNERS TO REPORT
PRIVATE WELLS RUNNING DRY AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASSISTANCE:
HTTPS://MAINE-DRY-WELL-SURVEY-MAINE.HUB.ARCGIS.COM/.
.PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE AND HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOKS...
THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTERS OUTLOOK FROM DAYS 6 TO 10 (SEP
8-12) FAVORS ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION. THE
PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK CALLS FOR NEAR AVERAGE PRECIPITATION. THE
DAYS 8-14 (SEP 10-16) CALLS FOR AN INCREASED CHANCE OF ABOVE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO STRONG SIGNALS THAT
WOULD POINT TOWARD IT BEING UNUSUALLY WET OR DRY.
RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMAINS OF IDA ARE NOT INCLUDED IN
THIS REPORT AS THE DATA CUTOFF FOR THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR IS 8
AM EDT ON TUESDAY WITH THE UPDATED MONITOR BEING RELEASED AT 8:30
AM EDT EACH THURSDAY.
.NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...
THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED BY LATE FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 17,
2021, OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
&&
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
