Drought in Strafford, New Hampshire

Strafford County averaged 1.92 inches of precipitation in December, approximately 2.1 inches below normal. The July'December stretch was the 6th driest on record. Livestock producers in the county reported exhausting their winter hay reserves by late December due to the lack of autumn forage. The USDM on December 30th had 95% of the county in Severe Drought (D2).

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.