Drought has returned to Massachusetts after almost six months of sufficient hydration.
Spurred by summer-like temperatures in October and consecutive months of abnormal dryness, the U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday reported that about a third of the state is experiencing a moderate drought.
The 31.78 percent of the state that falls into the Monitor’s lowest drought classification includes most of Hampden County, the southern half of Worcester County, most of Middlesex and Norfolk counties, and the northernmost parts of Bristol and Plymouth counties.
Another 58.35 percent of Massachusetts is abnormally dry, according to the Drought Monitor. Only Cape Cod and the islands, the southwestern sliver of Berkshire County and a slice of northern Middlesex County are properly hydrated, the Monitor reported.
The Monitor estimated that there are 2,877,758 people living in areas of Massachusetts affected by the drought.