HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 404 PM EST WED FEB 20 2008
...WATER RESOURCES STATEMENT...
THIS STATEMENT PERTAINS TO WATER SUPPLY INFORMATION FOR RHODE ISLAND AND MASSACHUSETTS. IN THIS AREA WATER RESOURCES DROPPED DURING THE SECOND HALF OF 2007 BUT ARE RECOVERING OR HAVE RECOVERED.
...GROUND WATER AND RESERVOIR LEVELS...
REAL TIME WELLS IN MASSACHUSETTS INDICATE A RETURN TO NORMAL OR ABOVE NORMAL GROUND WATER LEVELS.
AS OF THE END OF JANUARY...MANY RHODE ISLAND WELLS WERE STILL BELOW OR WELL BELOW NORMAL. SOME WELLS IN CENTRAL AND FAR SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND HAD RETURNED TO NEAR NORMAL.
GROUND WATER DATA ARE COURTESY OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CLIMATE RESPONSE NETWORK.
INFORMATION ON SOME AREA RESERVOIR SYSTEMS FOLLOWS.
AS OF FEBRUARY 20...SCITUATE RESERVOIR IN RHODE ISLAND WAS AT 90 PERCENT CAPACITY. THIS WAS A SHARP INCREASE FROM ONE MONTH AGO...WHEN SCITUATE WAS AT 72 PERCENT CAPACITY.
QUABBIN RESERVOIR HAD A CONSISTENT AND LARGE WATER SUPPLY AT 88 PERCENT CAPACITY.
THE WORCESTER WATER SUPPLY HAD INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY...WITH THE RESERVOIR AT 82 PERCENT CAPACITY. ONE MONTH AGO...THE RESERVOIR SYSTEM WAS AT ONLY 59 PERCENT.
COBBLE MOUNTAIN RESERVOIR WAS AT 73 PERCENT CAPACITY ONE MONTH AGO. THE LATEST READING FROM COBBLE MOUNTAIN WAS 78 PERCENT.
THE BEVERLY/SALEM RESERVOIR SYSTEM HAD RISEN TO 96 PERCENT...LYNN TO 67 PERCENT...AND TAUNTON AT 95 PERCENT.
...STREAMFLOW LEVELS...
EXCESSIVE RAINS DURING FEBRUARY PROMPTED STRONG RISES IN AREA RIVERS. AS OF FEBRUARY 20 RIVER AND STREAM LEVELS WERE MOSTLY ABOVE TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL. A FEW RIVERS WERE RUNNING NEAR NORMAL.
RIVER AND STREAM LEVEL DATA ARE COURTESY OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
...PRECIPITATION...
JANUARY BROUGHT BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION. IN BOSTON 2.69 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION FELL...WHICH WAS 1.23 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. AT WORCESTER 2.45 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL...1.62 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. AT TF GREEN AIRPORT IN RHODE ISLAND 2.94 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION FELL...WHICH WAS 1.44 INCHES BELOW NORMAL.
IN STARK CONTRAST...FEBRUARY HAS BROUGHT EXCESSIVE RAINS TO THE REGION. FROM FEBRUARY 1 TO 19...7 TO 9 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION FELL OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...AS WELL AS SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND FAR NORTHWEST RHODE ISLAND. FIVE TO 7 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT FELL OVER EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND...EXCEPT FOR 3 TO 5 INCHES OVER EXTREME SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND...CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS.
ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION...PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN WELL ABOVE NORMAL SO FAR IN FEBRUARY.
...TEMPERATURE DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...
TEMPERATURES FROM FEBRUARY 1 TO 19 HAVE AVERAGED 2 TO 6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.
...PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO TRACK NEAR THE AREA DURING FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...BRINGING SOME SNOW TO THE REGION. LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION OF ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS EVENT. A SECOND SYSTEM COULD BRING ADDITIONAL RAIN OR SNOW TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
THE 7 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER...FOR FEBRUARY 28 TO MARCH 5...ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND NORMAL TO BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST.
...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...
THE NEXT HYDROLOGIC STATEMENT REGARDING WATER RESOURCES WILL BE SENT ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 26.
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