Comment Persistent dry conditions in the Northeast have plunged the United States’ most populous region into the middle of a severe drought — and it’s not yet clear if any relief is on the horizon. A coastal storm is likely to track the northeast coast later this week, but models are wavering on how much rain will hit the region, much to the dismay of farmers and forest managers. Photos of drought in the Northeast look like they were taken in the desert Southwest. The area’s major rivers have dropped to their lowest levels in local memory, with some tributaries of the Boston-area Charles River drying up completely as locals find they can wade through normally fast-moving rivers. Southwest drought is most extreme in 1,200 years, study finds “We walk to the river. We could walk it with the right boots,” Boston-area photographer Fran Gardino told CBS News. “If you come here normally, the river flows fast down here. It’s so strong you couldn’t stand in here.” Extreme drought is plaguing much of eastern Massachusetts, including Boston, as well as parts of southern and eastern Rhode Island. According to the US Federal Drought Monitor’s drought classification system, there is only one level of worst. Not a single part of Massachusetts or Rhode Island is drought-free. Extreme drought, which the Drought Monitor warns could cause extreme river flow reductions as well as widespread crop loss, has overtaken 24.5 percent of Massachusetts and 33.63 percent of Rhode Island. Boston recorded its fourth driest July on record, with just 0.62 inches of rain recorded compared to the average July rainfall of 3.27 inches. In Providence, RI, just 0.46 inches of rain was recorded in July, well below the normal of 2.91 inches. On August 9, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee (D) issued a statewide drought advisory, recommending that area residents prepare for an extended period of drought. “As a precautionary measure, I encourage residents and businesses to consider taking water conservation measures,” McKee said in a news release. Many municipalities in Massachusetts have enacted mandatory water restrictions, limiting the number of days each week that watering is permitted. The drought isn’t just in Massachusetts and Rhode Island—it’s across the region. Parts of New Jersey, New York City and areas up to coastal Maine are experiencing at least moderate drought. Drought conditions are also extending further inland northeast, across New Hampshire, almost all of Vermont, and west to areas along Lake Ontario in New York. Some rain is expected in the region on Thursday and Friday, although exactly how much is rather unclear, with the two most reliable weather models providing diverging guidance. The latest series of the US model (GFS) has reverted to a wetter solution, with up to 2.5 inches of rain in rain-need areas of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It also gets some much needed precipitation that reaches as far inland as New Hampshire and Vermont. However, the European model remains less generous, limiting significant rainfall much closer to the coast and generally north of Massachusetts. Any rain in the area would certainly be welcome, even if the GFS is leaning towards a drier, European solution. If a wetter GFS-like solution occurs, it won’t be enough to allow most of the region to escape drought. “I think we’re probably going to be in this for a while and it’s going to take a long time,” Ted Diers, assistant director of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services’ water division, told The Associated Press. “What we’re really hoping for is a rainy fall followed by a very snowy winter to really replenish the aquifers and groundwater.” Vermont farmer Brian Kemp told the AP that dry conditions have made it harder for his large herd of cattle to find enough forage to graze. “Agriculture is challenging,” Kemp said, “and it’s getting even more challenging as climate change takes place.” Vermont dairy farms are a $2 billion-a-year industry, and drought conditions in the region mean this year’s yield and hay quality are both low, making life difficult for farmers who need hay to feed their animals. Rhode Island farmer Milan Adams told the AP that many of his fields are covered in a layer of dry, pulverized soil, which makes growing hay tough. “The hay height was there, but there was no volume. From there, we had some rain in early May, which brought it up,” he said. “We haven’t seen anything since.”
