Northeast Drought Update

Posted October 29, 2026

U.S. Drought Monitor

There were minimal changes in the Northeast this week, but most of those changes were deterioration. Severe drought spread in Maine, while abnormal dryness expanded in central and northern New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, and the northern half of New Jersey. However, extreme drought contracted slightly in coastal Maine. The U.S. Drought Monitor released on October 29 showed 1% of the Northeast in extreme drought, 8% in severe drought, 11% in moderate drought, and 23% as abnormally dry compared to 1%, 7%, 12%, and 20%, respectively, last week. Noticing impacts from dry conditions in your area? Reports can be submitted online via the Condition Monitoring Observation Reports (CMOR) website.

For more information on drought in NY & New England see the Northeast DEWS Dashboard and to learn more about assessing drought in the United States watch this video.

Precipitation

Total precipitation for the last week.

Percent of normal precipitation for the last 30-day and 90-day periods.

Percent of normal precipitation for the last 6-month and 1-year periods.

Water Resources

As of October 27, USGS 7-day streamflow was normal or lower across much of the Northeast, with record-low flows in places like Maine, northern Vermont, and central New York. However, streamflow was above normal in a few spots like parts of West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania, and southern Rhode Island. USGS groundwater levels as of October 27 ranged from record low in several areas including Maine, southeastern Massachusetts, central and western New York, southern New Jersey, and central and southern Maryland to record high in spots like northern and eastern West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania, and southern Rhode Island. There have been around a dozen reports of dry wells in Maine since October 18. Water conservation continued to be encouraged in multiple locations, with some communities like Cambridge, MA, having mandatory water restrictions.

7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow from USGS WaterWatch

A network of wells to monitor the effects of droughts & other climate variability on groundwater levels. USGS Groundwater Data

State Declarations

Outlooks

Seven-day precipitation amounts are forecast to range from less than a hundredth of an inch to one inch. There is a chance for widespread showers mid-week.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) 8-14 day outlook for November 5-11 favors above-normal temperatures for the entire region. The outlook slightly favors above-normal precipitation for all but the northwest corner of Pennsylvania.

The maps on this page, and additional drought resources, can also be found on the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.