Ground water levels dropped off significantly with values being below normal for the month of August. Northern Maine faired the best with ground waters levels in the normal range. The below normal precipitation for the month of August aided and magnified the drought conditions. We went from the rankings of abnormally dry, then moderate, and then to severe in just one month! Let's take look at where we were before 2002. Well, 2001 went down as the driest year in Maine 107 years. Coming into January 2002, the drought conditions continued (especially with a lack of substantial snowfall for the winter of 2001) as precipitation totals were at least 1 to 1.50 inches below normal. Conditions started to slowly improve from February into May of this year, with above normal precipitation. This helped to recharge area rivers and reservoirs and aided in recharging the ground water. June 2002 came with values just below normal again, and then came July, with much above normal precipitation.
Northern and eastern Maine had monthly precipitation totals some 2 to 3 inches above the normal for July, 2002. This helped to recharge area streams and rivers significantly and brought the ground water level, for the first time, to above normal across northern Maine. A welcomed site for sure for area wells and some water companies! Toward the end of September, the remnants of Isadore produced a soaking rain that averaged between an inch and a half to nearly two inches over the interior portions of north central Maine, with an inch averaged along the immediate coastal regions, to less than a half inch over the far north. Even thought latest projections show conditions from now into November to slightly improve, much needed rainfall is needed to bring conditions back to normal. It is still a wise idea to conserve water usage whenever possible as these are projections and weather patterns can change.
Drought conditions could improve this Autumn across Northern and Downeast Maine
By: Joseph Hewitt Senior Forecaster/ Hydrological Focal Point
Latest indications from various data sources indicate that conditions have slowly improved, especially over northern and eastern Maine. This is due to some decent rainfall that occurred over the first 3 weeks of September after a much below normal August. As a matter of fact, August 2002 was the driest August ever recorded in Caribou. Only 0.55 inches of precipitation was recorded at the National Weather Service office in Caribou. Normal precipitation for August runs at 4.15 inches. August 2002 for Bangor was the 3rd driest on record with only 0.71 inches of precipitation recorded. The normal precipitation for the month of August in Bangor is 3.99 inches.
