FGUS71 KPHI 261625 ESFPHI DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027- PAZ054-055-060>062-067>071-102100- HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 1230 PM EST WED APR 26 2006 DROUGHT/WATER RESOURCE STATEMENT...NUMBER 2 DROUGHT WATER RESOURCE STATEMENT FOR EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...NEW JERSEY...DELAWARE...AND NORTHEAST MARYLAND. ...MARYLAND CONTINUES THE EASTERN SHORE COUNTIES UNDER A DROUGHT WARNING PUT INTO EFFECT MARCH 31... ...PENNSYLVANIA CONTINUES THE DROUGHT WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE STATE... THE COUNTIES UNDER A DROUGHT WARNING IN THE MOUNT HOLLY HYDROLOGIC SERVICE AREA ARE IN MARYLAND CAROLINE...KENT...QUEEN ANNES...TALBOT. THE COUNTIES UNDER A DROUGHT WATCH IN THE MOUNT HOLLY HYDROLOGIC SERVICE AREA ARE IN PENNSYLVANIA BERKS...BUCKS...CARBON...CHESTER...DELAWARE...LEHIGH...MONROE... MONTGOMERY...NORTHAMPTON...PHILADELPHIA. NO COUNTIES IN DELAWARE OR NEW JERSEY ARE UNDER ANY DROUGHT DECLARATIONS. BOTH STATES WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CONDITIONS. THE DRY CONDITIONS HAVE CAUSED BOTH STATES TO HAVE HEIGHTENED FIRE DANGER CONCERNS. THE LAST WIDESPREAD DROUGHT DECLARATION WAS FROM NOV 2001 TO MARCH 2002. IN NEW JERSEY A DROUGHT WATCH WAS ISSUED LAST FALL FOR A FEW WEEKS IN SEPTEMBER. A DROUGHT WATCH IS THE FIRST OF THREE DROUGHT STAGES. IT IS USED TO ALERT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES...PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIERS...WATER USERS AND THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE ONSET OF CONDITIONS INDICATING THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE DROUGHT RELATED PROBLEMS. A DROUGHT WATCH CALLS FOR A VOLUNTARY 5 PERCENT REDUCTION IN WATER CONSUMPTION. A DROUGHT WARNING IS THE SECOND OF THREE DROUGHT STAGES. IT IS USED TO PREPARE FOR A COORDINATED RESPONSE TO IMMINENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS AND POTENTIAL WATER SUPPLY SHORTAGES...RELIEVE STRESSED RESOURCES... AND IF POSSIBLE FORESTALL THE NEED FOR MANDATORY WATER USE RESTRICTIONS. A DROUGHT WARNING CALLS FOR A VOLUNTARY 10 TO 15 PERCENT REDUCTION IN WATER CONSUMPTION. DROUGHT DECLARATIONS ARE BASED ON SEVERAL FACTORS INCLUDING... 1. STREAM LEVELS 2. PRECIPITATION 3. RESERVOIRS LEVELS 4. GROUND WATER LEVELS 5. SOIL MOISTURE (PALMER DROUGHT INDEX) DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP IN RESPONSE TO THE WELL BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL OF FEBRUARY AND ESPECIALLY MARCH. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LAST OCTOBER RAINFALL OVER THE AREA HAS BEEN NORMAL OR BELOW NORMAL EACH MONTH SINCE LAST SUMMER. THE RESULTS OF THE LACK OF RAINFALL HAS PROMPTED THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MONITOR TO PLACE PORTIONS OF MARYLAND AND DELAWARE IN A D1 OR MODERATE DROUGHT WHILE THE REST OF THE AREA IS CONSIDERED ABNORMALLY DRY OR D0. BENEFICIAL RAINFALL WAS REPORTED THIS PAST WEEKEND. RAINFALL OVER THE AREA RANGED FROM 1.50 INCHES TO JUST OVER 3.0 INCHES. WATER SUPPLY RESERVOIR LEVELS RECOVERED A LITTLE AFTER THE HEAVY RAINS THIS PAST WEEKEND. RESERVOIR LEVELS REMAIN BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS. FLOOD CONTROL RESERVOIRS ARE NOW AT SUMMER POOL LEVELS. STREAMFLOW HAS RECOVERED NICELY AFTER THE RAINS OF THIS PAST WEEKEND. STREAMFLOW IS NOW NORMAL OR ABOVE THROUGHOUT THE AREA. SOIL MOISTURE AS MEASURED BY THE PALMER DROUGHT INDEX RANGED FROM -4.7 TO -3.8 IN MARYLAND, IN PENNSYLVANIA -0.3 TO +1.2, IN DELAWARE -2.0 TO -1.2 AND IN NEW JERSEY -1.5 TO -0.1. GROUND WATER NORMALLY RISING THIS TIME OF YEAR HAS BEEN FALLING SINCE EARLY FEBRUARY WITH MANY REPORTING STATIONS WELL BELOW NORMAL. THE SALT LINE IN THE DELAWARE RIVER ESTUARY IS ESTIMATED AT MILE 68...7 MILES UPSTREAM FROM THE NORMAL OF 61. THE FOLLOWING STATISTICS ARE COMPILED FROM COOPERATIVE WEATHER OBSERVERS IN NEW JERSEY...PENNSYLVANIA...DELAWARE AND MARYLAND. THESE NUMBERS ARE COUNTYWIDE AVERAGES THROUGH APRIL 11 2006. MONTH LAST LAST SO 90 DAYS 180 DAYS LAST 365 DAYS FAR TOTAL/DEP. TOTAL/DEP. TOTAL/DEP./ % BERKS PA 3.7 7.2 -3.4 18.3 -2.9 41.3 -3.6 -7 BUCKS PA 3.6 7.0 -3.8 18.9 -2.6 46.1 0.2 0 CARBON PA 4.3 8.0 -2.8 21.8 -0.4 45.5 -2.0 -3 CHESTER PA 3.6 6.6 -4.3 18.0 -3.5 41.5 -4.0 -8 DELAWARE PA 4.1 6.9 -3.7 18.3 -2.3 40.1 -3.1 -6 LEHIGH PA 3.5 7.4 -3.5 20.2 -1.6 44.9 -1.6 -2 MONROE PA 5.0 9.2 -2.1 24.0 1.1 50.4 2.5 5 MONTGOMERY PA 3.5 6.5 -4.2 17.5 -3.9 40.2 -4.9 -10 NORTHAMPTON PA 4.1 7.9 -2.7 20.4 -0.9 46.8 1.2 3 PHILADELPHIA PA 3.7 6.5 -4.2 17.5 -3.2 41.4 -2.7 -5 BURLINGTON NJ 3.2 6.2 -5.0 19.6 -2.1 48.0 2.9 6 CAMDEN NJ 3.4 6.5 -4.4 19.1 -2.1 45.9 1.6 4 GLOUCESTER NJ 3.4 6.0 -4.5 17.6 -2.8 43.1 0.7 2 HUNTERDON NJ 4.1 7.7 -3.4 20.6 -1.6 45.1 -1.6 -2 MERCER NJ 3.4 6.9 -3.9 18.9 -2.4 46.4 1.1 2 SALEM NJ 3.3 5.3 -5.2 16.2 -4.5 39.5 -3.6 -7 SUSSEX NJ 4.1 7.6 -3.0 21.0 -0.3 50.6 5.1 11 WARREN NJ 4.0 7.5 -3.0 19.7 -1.4 48.0 3.2 7 ATLANTIC NJ 3.2 5.7 -5.5 19.4 -2.1 43.1 -0.4 0 CAPE MAY NJ 1.9 3.8 -7.0 15.8 -5.1 35.9 -5.8 -13 CUMBERLAND NJ 2.3 4.4 -6.6 14.8 -6.1 36.7 -5.8 -13 MIDDLESEX NJ 3.4 6.7 -4.1 19.2 -2.3 46.2 1.2 3 MONMOUTH NJ 3.4 6.4 -4.9 19.4 -2.6 44.0 -1.1 -1 MORRIS NJ 3.7 7.3 -4.3 22.0 -1.3 49.1 0.4 1 OCEAN NJ 3.1 5.5 -6.0 18.9 -3.7 41.2 -4.4 -9 SOMERSET NJ 3.6 7.0 -4.0 19.6 -2.4 44.2 -2.4 -4 KENT DE 3.1 5.2 -5.5 16.9 -3.8 44.4 0.4 1 NEW CASTLE DE 3.7 5.6 -4.7 15.5 -4.4 37.8 -4.2 -9 SUSSEX DE 2.2 4.1 -6.9 15.1 -6.1 40.3 -4.0 -8 CECIL MD 3.2 5.5 -4.9 16.0 -4.0 39.3 -2.7 -5 CAROLINE MD 3.1 4.9 -5.5 16.3 -4.1 41.4 -1.6 -3 KENT MD 3.1 4.9 -5.6 15.3 -5.2 40.5 -2.9 -6 QUEEN ANNES MD 3.0 4.8 -5.4 15.1 -5.2 40.0 -3.0 -6 TALBOT MD 2.4 4.1 -6.7 14.6 -6.4 39.1 -4.5 -9 NO RAINFALL IS EXPECTED INTO THE WEEKEND. THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK FOR APRIL 18TH THROUGH THE 24TH CALLS FOR NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED ON OR ABOUT MAY 10 2006 OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS CHANGE. FOR COMPLETE RAINFALL...STREAM LEVELS AND OTHER DROUGHT RELATED INFORMATION, VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT: WWW.WEATHER.GOV/ER/PHI. $$ WN