Drought conditions improve, but still linger.
The state’s climatologist, Mary Stampone, who is an associate professor of geography at the University of New Hampshire, said that surface water – river, streams and lakes – are doing well, which is easy to see passing by those body of waters.
What is difficult to see, but what is measured, is ground water — like wells and aquifers.
Kernen said that rain today can take months before it drains down and recharges the ground water.
While the Stampone said recent rain has “definitely helped” the drought conditions, she is “not confident” the state will be lifted out of the drought designation this summer.
“We don’t have a distinct wet or dry season,” she said.
While we don’t know how much rain we will receive this spring and summer, “we are guaranteed to get warmer over the next few months,” she said.
“We know we will increase the outputs of moisture – we just don’t know what the inputs will be.” While many of area municipalities water supplies are doing better, especially for those with surface water reservoirs, households and business who depend on wells have had more challenges.
Sometimes, the ground is too cold in the winter to allow the water to trickle down to recharge the ground water supply.
The form can be found on the homepage of the DES’ website, www.des.nh.gov under the “What’s New” tab.