Drought — Northern Carroll, New Hampshire

2025-12-01 to 2025-12-31 · Northern Carroll, New Hampshire

Event narrative

Carroll County averaged 2.15 inches of precipitation in December, approximately 1.8 inches below normal. The cumulative deficit since summer grew to nearly 9 inches, marking the 2nd driest such period since 1922. Groundwater levels in the town of Conway reached historic lows for December, leading to a 15% increase in dry well reports compared to November. The USDM on December 30th had 100% of the county in Severe Drought (D2).

Wider weather episode

December 2025 saw the state's hydrological recovery stalled by below-normal precipitation and the seasonal ground freeze. As winter took hold and frozen ground effectively halted any potential for significant groundwater recharge. Seasonal snowfall provided a surface-level coating across the state, the moisture content of the snowpack remained below normal, outside of the White Mountains 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. While surface soil moisture had seen modest gains in November, the lack of substantial December rain meant that groundwater levels remained much-below normal for the month.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1301971. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.