Anita Stewart, of Portland, spreads mulch in her plot at North Street Community Garden on Nov. 2. Stewart, who has been gardening at the site for 10 years, acknowledged the region has been in a dry spell, but said it could be worse. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer
Maine has finally been getting some much-needed rain, but it won’t make up for an abnormally dry fall.
Observation locations across the state have recorded about 1 to 1.5 inches of rainfall since Thursday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Another half-inch of rain is expected Tuesday.
“]After a dry few weeks, Maine will be singing in the rain[/mtm-related-link]
Portland got about 1.3 inches of rain between Thursday and Saturday.
New England has experienced drought conditions this fall. Most of the region was still “abnormally dry” or in a moderate, severe or extreme drought as of Thursday, per the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Roughly 70% of Maine was experiencing drought conditions Thursday.
Much of northwestern, western, central and southern Maine, including Cumberland County, has been experiencing moderate drought, and much of the rest of the state has been abnormally dry. The southern tip of York County was in a severe drought.
Recent rains, though beneficial, won’t make much of a dent in Maine’s rainfall deficit, said Derek Schroeter, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Gray.
Most of Maine’s weather observation points are reporting rainfall deficits of 6 to 9 inches for the fall season, Schroeter said.
Portland is currently at a 7.29-inch rain deficit this fall. With last week’s precipitation, this year is expected to narrowly skirt the record for the city’s driest fall season to date.
A lack of rainfall in September and October, combined with gusty winds and dry leaves, created the conditions for late-season wildfires throughout the region.
In early November, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry said that rangers had responded to about 60 or 70 wildfires over the course of a few weeks, more than usual for that time of year.
Portland firefighters extinguished a half-acre brush fire near West Commercial Street on Nov. 9 during a “very high” fire weather warning.
As of this weekend, the state is seeing some relief, with the fire risk down to a “low” rating for most of the state and “moderate” in southern areas.
Open burn permits – which are only valid in a moderate or low fire warning – are now available because the risk has been reduced.
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