Drought Hangs On, Worsens in Parts of the Northeast U.S. Despite Rainfall

3 min readAug 11, 2022

Drought has lingered or worsened in parts of the Northeast, especially in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, according to today’s U.S. Drought Monitor update.

“The variable rainfall pattern means drought conditions eased in wetter areas, but drought persisted or worsened in areas that missed significant rains,” the drought monitor says. “But of particular note is the introduction of extreme drought (D3) in eastern Massachusetts outside Cape Cod, and much of southern and eastern Rhode Island.”

These areas have received near-normal rainfall or less than half the norm in the last three months, and only about 50 to 65 percent of normal in the last half-year. That’s 9 to 11 inches below normal, according to the drought monitor.

“Other areas were hit-and-miss, but severe drought (D2) or worse remains confined to areas near the Atlantic Coast, southeastern New England, a small area in west-central Connecticut and adjacent New York, and a newly-introduced area in parts of New York City and adjacent suburbs.”

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Meanwhile, heavy rain is possible across the Northeast and New England by early next week, the Weather Prediction Center at the National Weather Service tweeted.

With most of Massachusetts in a “Level-3-Critical Drought, it is incredibly important that we all practice water conservation and adhere to local requirements and recommendations in order avoid over stressing our water resources,” state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card said in a news release Tuesday. “Efforts to minimize water usage now will help our water systems to rebound more quickly, and ensure that essential public health, safety and environmental needs continue to be met.”

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More images, including the precipitation outlook later this month: