Three New Drought Areas You May Not Have Heard About

Three relatively new areas of drought have developed quickly in parts of the Northeast, Southeast and northern High Plains this spring and summer, reaching extreme severity in some areas, due to a lack of significant rain and an unpromising forecast.

Soil moisture anomalies are well below average, as of July 26, in parts of central and western New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, and southern New England. In parts of western New York and northern Pennsylvania, these values are in the lowest 1 percent of all historical values for the date.

Soil moisture well below average for this time of year in parts of the southern Appalachians. In parts of north Georgia, these values are also in the lowest 1 percent of all historical values for July 26, according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

Soil moisture percentiles as of July 26, 2016. The darkest orange and brown contours in parts of the Northeast and Southeast, denoted by arrows, indicate soil moisture in the lowest five and one percent of average for late July, respectively. NOAA/CPC

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To read more about drought conditions in each of the three regions, click through to the original story below