Drought in Western and Central Hillsborough, New Hampshire

Hillsborough County averaged 1.53 inches of precipitation in February, approximately 1.526 inches below normal, marking the 12th driest February. The USDM on February 24th had 70% of the county in Moderate Drought (D1) and 30% in Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions.

In February 2026, New Hampshire's drought conditions remained steady in their classification while experiencing ongoing hydrologic strain. By the end of the month, the state's drought extent held firm with 41% categorized as Severe Drought (D2), 37% as Moderate Drought (D1), and 22% as Abnormally Dry (D0). Although seasonal snowpack remained near normal across much of the state, particularly on the slopes of the White Mountains, the water content was relatively low, and the snowpack peaked in late February, nearly three weeks earlier than usual. Deep soil frost depths between 6 and 20 inches created a cap that blocked melting snow and rain from recharging deep aquifers. Consequently, the majority of groundwater monitoring levels remained at or below the 25th percentile.