Puddles in the yard and you're probably thinking, ‘How can we possibly be in a drought?'

Boston Globe

07-04-2025

One thing about drought is that here in New England, we do not experience the same types of drought that they do in other parts of the country. Out in the western part of the country, droughts can last for multiple years, and where precipitation is already exponentially lower than what we see here, a lack of rainfall has a much more profound impact. Additionally, water is more of a premium in that part of the world.
The latest drought conditions across the United States, according to the US Drought Monitor.
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Droughts can be divided into different categories:
Meteorological drought
, which is a significant deficit in precipitation as compared to average;
hydrological drought
, when streams, rivers, and reservoirs are significantly below average; and
agricultural drought
, often when topsoil levels become abnormally dry, impacting agricultural crops.
It is highly unusual for droughts to last over multiple years in this part of the country. Even in the 1960s, when we did see repeated drought conditions for several years, eventually things returned to more normal, wet conditions.
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Meteorologically, we have had significantly less precipitation since mid-August last year. This is the reason why the
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Although recent rain has improved conditions, much of New England remains under a "moderate drought," according to the US Drought Monitor.
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If you look at the amount of precipitation that occurred since mid-August last year up until the first few days of April this year, a total of 122 years have been wetter, and we are the 33rd driest (2024-25). In other words, it's definitely been drier than average. It's not a record, but it's something that those who keep track of water management and other agricultural interests are keeping an eye on.
The largest reservoir in the area is the Quabbin, which, along with the Wachusett Reservoir, supplies Boston's drinking water. Currently, the reservoir is well
The droughts of the 1960s were far more impactful to the Quabbin Reservoir water supply than anything recently.
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
If you're trying to start seedlings or other plants outside, the models are forecasting average to above-average precipitation into the middle of the month. While average precipitation may not move us out of the official drought status, it will keep things from getting any worse, and there's certainly adequate moisture in the ground for leaf emergence.
Toward the end of the month and into May, as leaves begin to transpire water, the amount of moisture in the ground will
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The gray area represents how much below normal precipitation has been over the past year in Boston.
NOAA
One thing I often think about is the fact that even in these drought years, most mature trees survive. Although there can be some dieback and certainly impact, even after the big drought in the 1960s, the landscape recovered. Nature is very resilient, and while it's valuable to know the current status of our moisture deficit, over the long term, precipitation tends to average out, and we just have to get through these dry spells.
Immature plants like this pine succumbed to the dry fall and has died. Larger trees and shrubs can show dieback or death during the spring from the dry weather.
Dave Epstein
Finally, it is worth noting that the long-range climate models forecast that the Northeast will have more precipitation over time, not less. How that precipitation falls is changing. The fluctuations between dry and moist are becoming more dramatic, and this will require new approaches and new strategies in what could become a more challenging environment.
May through July will likely see above-average precipitation across New England, according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.
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