As of Thursday morning, the U.S. Drought Monitor has officially escalated the drought classification for an area northwest of Boston from “severe” to “extreme”.
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The area in extreme drought in the weekly report released Thursday represents less than 4 percent of the state. The only higher level is exceptional drought.
An “extreme drought” has hit portions of MA for the first time since 2010 as temperatures crawled toward triple digits Thursday.
Drought conditions have improved across Alabama in the past week even as parts of the state continue to deal with “extreme” drought.
Sections of Genesee, Shiawassee, and Wayne counties are categorized under severe drought by the monitor produced by the National Oceanic National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The northern two-thirds of the state continue to face dry conditions except for a corridor through western Alabama.
The region includes New England, the Middle Atlantic states, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia, although the latter three states are barely affected by drought, if at all.
“The rivers look nasty”, she said.
Much of Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale Counties have been dropped from all drought categories due to recent rain.
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“These showers might damp down the dust and reduce fire risk a little, but won’t make a huge difference”, Svoboda said.
