HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
405 AM EST THU DEC 27 2001
...DROUGHT/WATER RESOURCE STATEMENT...
RAINFALL GAVE WAY TO SNOWFALL BY THE HOLIDAY SEASON, AND COLDER
TEMPERATURES KEPT ANY BENEFICIAL PRECIPITATION LOCKED IN THE
SNOWCOVER.
PRECIPITATION DEFICITS CONTINUED THROUGH DECEMBER, WITH TOTALS ON
AVERAGE 1/2 TO 1 INCH BELOW NORMAL. DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE
ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY.
RAINFALL TOTALS AND DEPARTURES BY COUNTY (COURTESY OF THE NORTHEAST
RIVER FORECAST CENTER):
SINCE SINCE SINCE
COUNTY DEC 1 2001 NOV 1 2001 JAN 1 2001
PCPN DEPART. PCPN DEPART. PCPN DEPART.
CLINTON NY 1.44 -0.53 3.14 -1.47 24.82 -7.23
ESSEX NY 1.77 -0.62 4.02 -1.65 29.95 -6.04
FRANKLIN NY 2.11 -0.41 4.64 -1.04 31.76 -6.08
ST LAWRENCE NY 1.91 -0.67 4.25 -1.61 33.19 -4.35
ADDISON VT 1.98 -0.34 4.79 -0.73 31.53 -4.07
CALEDONIA VT 1.78 -0.77 4.06 -1.73 28.39 -8.12
CHITTENDEN VT 1.35 -0.68 3.25 -1.66 24.28 -9.23
ESSEX VT 2.12 -0.65 4.88 -1.37 31.08 -6.57
FRANKLIN VT 1.79 -0.50 4.70 -1.03 35.21 -2.48
GRAND ISLE VT 1.34 -0.69 2.92 -1.95 24.45 -8.50
LAMOILLE VT 1.70 -0.65 3.83 -1.84 29.52 -7.27
ORANGE VT 1.77 -0.71 3.61 -2.11 27.54 -8.14
ORLEANS VT 2.13 -0.55 5.23 -0.89 36.42 -3.02
RUTLAND VT 1.61 -0.97 3.39 -2.63 28.40 -10.10
WASHINGTON VT 1.30 -1.02 3.28 -2.12 24.93 -9.75
WINDSOR VT 1.75 -1.09 3.47 -3.05 30.11 -9.73
THE RAINFALL DEFICITS THIS YEAR BEGAN IN APRIL, FOLLOWING A VERY
SNOWY WINTER. THE EFFECTS OF THE EXTENSIVE LATE SPRING SNOWPACK
CARRIED WELL INTO SUMMER, DESPITE BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL THAT BEGAN IN
APRIL. AS A RESULT, DROUGHT EFFECTS ONLY BECAME APPARENT IN JULY
AND AUGUST.
AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BURLINGTON, THE
PRECIPITATION TOTAL FROM APRIL 1 TO DECEMBER 27 WAS 16.57 INCHES, THE
DRIEST EVER FOR THIS PERIOD BY OVER AN INCH. THE SECOND DRIEST FOR
APRIL 1 TO PRESENT WAS 17.90 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IN 1908. SINCE
JANUARY 1ST, 23.24 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL, THE 4TH DRIEST TO
DATE AND NEARLY 11 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL OF 34.10 INCHES.
RIVER LEVELS AND FLOWS WERE THE LOWEST IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
VERMONT. THE LAMOILLE AT JOHNSON AND WINOOSKI AT MONTPELIER WERE
BELOW THE LOWEST 10 PERCENT OF RECORDED FLOWS. THE DOG RIVER AT
NORTHFIELD FALLS AND AYERS BROOK AT RANDOLPH CONTINUED TO POST
RECORD LOW DAILY FLOWS.
IN NORTHERN VERMONT A HALF INCH OF RAINFALL LAST WEEKEND BOOSTED
RIVERS TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN REMAINS WELL BELOW NORMAL WITH THE LAKE LEVEL AT
93.9 FEET. THE NORMAL LAKE LEVEL IS 96.2 FEET.
ALTHOUGH THERE ARE CHANCES FOR SNOW OVER THE NEXT WEEK, ANY SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN BELOW
FREEZING FOR THE NEXT WEEK, SO ANY SNOW THAT FALLS WILL NOT BE ABLE
TO PROVIDE ANY HELP TO WATER SUPPLIES.
THE LONGER TERM OUTLOOK FOR THIS WINTER CONTINUES TO CALL FOR NORMAL
PRECIPITATION AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. ALTHOUGH A RETURN TO
NORMAL PRECIPITATION TOTALS WOULD BE A POSITIVE TREND TOWARD EASING
DROUGHT CONDITIONS, MOST WINTER PRECIPITATION WOULD REMAIN LOCKED IN
SNOW. RIVER AND GROUND WATER LEVELS WOULD NOT SEE RELIEF FROM THE
DRY CONDITIONS UNTIL A MID WINTER OR SPRINGTIME THAW.
WATER SUPPLY ISSUES WILL LIKELY REMAIN A CONCERN THROUGH WINTER,
ESPECIALLY FOR HOMES AND FARMS THAT HAVE TO HAUL WATER. COLD
WINTER TEMPERATURES WILL MAKE THE TRANSFER AND ABOVE GROUND STORAGE
OF WATER MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.
THE NEXT DROUGHT/WATER RESOURCES STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED WEDNESDAY
JANUARY 9, IF NEEDED.
ACCESS CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS ON OUR WEBSITE AT
http://tgsv5.nws.noaa.gov/er/btv/
HANSON