Drought — Sullivan, New Hampshire

2025-12-01 to 2025-12-31 · Sullivan, New Hampshire

Event narrative

Sullivan County averaged 2.02 inches of precipitation in December, approximately 1.4 inches below normal. Lake Sunapee remained at near-record winter lows, and the Sugar River saw flows drop to the 8th percentile. The USDM on December 30th had 52% of the county in Moderate Drought (D1) and 48% 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 1301980. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.