Hail and rain: Wacky weather on Seacoast with Hurricane Fiona to bring winds, waves next

Parts of Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine experienced heavy thunderstorms and hail during their commute Thursday morning.

Residents in Exeter reported half-dollar sized hail, which is roughly 1.25 inches, and other reports across the Seacoast flooded in to the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine. Penny-sized hail was reported in areas near Rye. The area was under a severe thunderstorm warning Thursday morning, which expired after the storms passed.

“Thursday’s thunderstorms produced a fair amount of hail reports throughout the area,” NWS meteorologist Derek Schroeter said.

Schroeter said Thursday’s round of severe thunderstorms were unusual, fueled by instability in the atmosphere that formed over the Ohio Valley and moved into the area.

From Wednesday through Thursday morning, much of the Seacoast received more than an inch of rain. Forecasters expected another half-inch to fall by the end of Thursday. A break from the rain is expected this weekend on the Seacoast.

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Windy weekend likely as Fiona passes Seacoast

New England is expected to see some effects from Hurricane Fiona, as it passes offshore en route to the Canadian Atlantic coast.

“We will be on the very western periphery of Fiona’s projected track Friday into Saturday,” Schroeter said. “While we won't see any rainfall from the tropical system, Fiona will still be close enough for us to experience those strong winds on the periphery of the storm.”

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For surfers and boaters on the Seacoast in New Hampshire and southern Maine, this means the potential for swells upwards of 4-5 feet. This would give local surfers a bit of a boost, but the waves have been much bigger locally following hurricanes in the past.

Schroeter said elevations along the coast will see a combination of the strong winds gusting upwards of 40 mph and temperatures in the 50s Friday and Saturday.

Schroeter had a warning for those who may have plans to hike in the White Mountains this weekend. Temperatures at the higher elevations will reach below freezing wind chills this weekend with gusts exceeding 100 mph at the mountain peaks.

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Is drought over on Seacoast?

Don’t let all the rain fool you, officials say, the area is still experiencing drought conditions.

Exeter and Dover have had water restrictions in place to conserve water throughout the summer by limiting outdoor water use. That hasn't changed yet as a result of the recent rain.

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The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services still listed the region in severe to moderate drought conditions as of Thursday.

John Storer, Dover's director of Community Services, said the data tells him it is still too soon to recommend lifting water restrictions. The city checks with hydrogeologic consultants every week and relies on their guidance to gauge if the aquifers have "sufficiently recovered to allow use restrictions to be pulled."

“We still remain in drought conditions,” Storer said. “The current rainfall certainly helps, but even a week or so ago we were running something like 10 to 12 inches below normal precipitation for the year. While a single rainstorm certainly helps, you can imagine that we need a more extended period of recovery to make up a 10- to 12-inch deficit.”

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Storer said the heavy bursts of rainfall the area has seen lately are not always productive in adding to the groundwater. He said it will be at least a few days before the city can effectively measure any recharge benefit from the recent rain.

“The ground isn’t always able to absorb the water, and some ends up in run-off to surface water rivers and streams,” Storer said.

Storer said Dover has a “heightened sensitivity” to the effects of drought conditions, because the city still has three wells offline. This is because the Pudding Hill aquifer won't be utilized again until a new water treatment plant is built and starts operations late next year.

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Exeter's water ban will remain in place at least until next week's Select Board meeting, when it is expected to be reevaluated.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Weather in Seacoast NH, southern ME: Hail, rain, Hurricane Fiona winds