The U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday, November 5 showed drought and/or abnormally dry conditions expand in multiple parts of the Northeast this week, driven by a prolonged dry spell. A few locations did not have measurable precipitation (at least 0.01 inches) for the first time on record from October 18-31. In fact, some areas have not seen measurable precipitation in more than two weeks. For instance, Albany, NY, and Worcester, MA, did not see measurable precipitation for 19 days (October 17 and November 4), making it Albany’s longest dry spell in 46 years and Worcester’s longest dry spell in 19 years.

• Extreme drought was introduced and severe drought spread in northern Maine.
• Moderate drought expanded in northern New Hampshire, northern Vermont, and central Maryland.
• Abnormal dryness grew in coverage in parts of Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
• Record-low seven-day streamflow was found places like Maine, central New Hampshire, northern Vermont, central New York, south-central Pennsylvania, and central Maryland.
• Groundwater levels were record low in several areas including Maine, southeastern Massachusetts, central and western New York, southern New Jersey, and central and southern Maryland.
• The short-term outlooks for November 10-18 predict below-normal precipitation and near- to above-normal temperatures for most of the Northeast, conditions that warrant observation for possible deterioration in some areas.

For more information, see the Northeast DEWS Dashboard (to see the full Northeast, click on the grayed-out Pennsylvania in the map in the top left) and the Northeast Drought Update. Submit drought impact reports via the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) page.