Drought now spans all of NH, is 'severe' in corner of Cheshire County
Jul. 16—All of New Hampshire has entered a drought, including a severe drought along much of the state's southern border, leading to adverse agricultural conditions and recommended water-use restrictions.
The latest weekly report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, issued Thursday, shows that a thin strip of southern New Hampshire, from the southeastern corner of Cheshire County to the Seacoast, is now in a severe drought, while the rest of the state is experiencing moderate drought.
Last week, just over half the state, specifically the southeastern portion, was experiencing moderate drought, but this has extended to the rest of New Hampshire, according to the Drought Monitor's report, which includes data from July 5-12.
The project is a joint venture of the National Drought Mitigation Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Keith Eggleston, a climatologist with the Northeast Regional Climate Center in Ithaca, N.Y., said in an email Friday that a moderate drought — the lowest intensity of the monitor's four drought levels — often leads to damaged crops, while during a severe drought, crop losses are likely.
Brad Rippey, an analyst at the U.S. Department of Agriculture who authors Drought Monitor reports, said in an email that widespread drought across New Hampshire has led to soil-moisture shortages and a deterioration of pastures.
He added that increases in topsoil moisture shortages in the state have been "meteoric," having risen to 79 percent "very short" from around 1 percent at the start of June. According to the USDA's website, "very short" conditions mean soil moisture is significantly less than what is required for normal plant development, and plants can quickly suffer irreparable damage.
In response to the drought, the N.H. Department of Environmental Services is recommending voluntary or mandatory outdoor water restrictions for municipalities. So far, 51 communities in the state, mainly in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties, have implemented mandatory outdoor water-use restrictions, according to a map from NHDES. No Cheshire County communities have announced restrictions, the map indicates.
Curtis Riganti, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, said a drought typically occurs due to lack of rainfall, which in turn affects soil moisture and stream flows. These deficiencies can be exacerbated by evaporation and transpiration, in which water is absorbed into the air from the ground or plants.
"Generally, you get a drought when there's a shortage of precipitation greater than what is normal for that area," Riganti said Friday.
According to Riganti, Cheshire County rainfall in the past month has been two to four inches below normal.
"Droughts tend to end with enough rainfall to be able to replenish soil moisture and streams," he said.
Eggleston, whose agency covers all of New England, said the drought extends beyond New Hampshire, with parts of adjacent northeastern Massachusetts also in severe drought. Large portions of each New England state are in moderate drought, he added. New Hampshire has been without proper precipitation for about 30 to 60 days, Eggleston said.
The state department of environmental services said in a news release Thursday that the drought is expected to persist.
"Precipitation outlooks indicate that the volume of rain needed to alleviate drought conditions in the next few months is unlikely to materialize," the release states. "Also, temperature outlooks are signaling a potential for higher-than-normal temperatures, which can exacerbate drought conditions."
Droughts during the summer months are common due to warmer weather and more direct sunlight, Riganti said.
About this time last year, about four percent of the state, mainly the northern portion of Coos County, was experiencing severe drought. Roughly 30 percent of New Hampshire was in moderate drought, and the southern portion of the state, including Cheshire and Hillsborough counties, was experiencing no drought, according to the Drought Monitor.
Hunter Oberst can be reached at 355-8585, or hoberst@keenesentinel.com.
