After a record dry summer we are finally no longer in a drought across the state.
Just a few months ago the different parts of the state were experiencing anywhere from moderate to severe and even extreme drought conditions. But our recent rainfall has been really beneficial and the updated drought monitor just shows parts of the state as abnormally dry.
In October and November, the Hartford area picked up over 11 inches of rain. The normal total for October and November combined is 8.26 inches. Bridgeport didn’t see as much rain, picking up 8.45 inches, only about 1.5 inches above normal, but the Bridgeport area also didn’t need the rain as much. Drought conditions never got as bad in Fairfield and New Haven counties.
We are still in the hole when it comes to year-to-date rainfall for the Hartford area with more than an 8-inch deficit. The Bridgeport area is pretty much on track, only 1 inch below normal for the year so far.
While this is great news when it comes to drought conditions, it does make scientists wary of “flash drought” events like this becoming more common. Typical droughts can take months and even years to occur and recover from, whereas our most recent drought lasted just a few months.
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"We had normal precipitation up until about May," said Timothy Sargent, Supervisory Hydrologic Technician for New England Water Science Center. “And then from May through September at least, October as well, we had such a precipitation deficit it happened so fast. We do anticipate this may be a phenomenon that occurs more frequently."
Another sign of our changing climate.
