Drought — Central Somerset, Maine

2025-12-01 to 2025-12-31 · Central Somerset, Maine

Event narrative

Somerset County averaged 2.18 inches of precipitation in December, approximately 1.5 inches below normal. The rainfall deficits carried over since summer grew to over 7.5 inches, making it the 3rd driest July through December stretch on record. By the end of the month, the county remained entrenched in drought, with the USDM on December 30th classifying 82% of the county in Severe Drought (D2) and 18% in Extreme Drought (D3), primarily in the southern and eastern sectors. The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) reported that Somerset continued to be a focal point for dry well reports as the winter freeze further restricted groundwater availability. Furthermore, livestock producers who had exhausted local hay supplies in November were forced to rely entirely on expensive out-of-state shipments throughout December. Hydropower generation on the Kennebec River remained at approximately 50% of normal capacity due to persistent record-low winter inflows.

Wider weather episode

December 2025 brought little relief to Maine's drought conditions, as winter took hold and frozen ground effectively halted any potential for significant groundwater recharge. While seasonal snowfall provided a surface-level coating across the state, the moisture content of the snowpack remained below normal and insufficient to offset the substantial long-term deficits carried over from the summer and autumn. Hydrological recovery remained at a standstill, with streamflows below normal, particularly in the coastal basins. Consequently, severe to extreme drought conditions persisted across southern and central Maine, with the number of failing private wells continuing to rise. By late December, it was estimated that an additional 8 to 14 inches of liquid precipitation was still required to fully restore soil moisture and replenish the state's depleted groundwater reserves.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1301954. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.