Drought in Northern Carroll, New Hampshire

Carroll County averaged 3.91 inches of precipitation in April, which is near normal. The heavier precipitation fell in the mountains, while the lakes in the southern part of the county received over an inch below normal precipitation. The USDM on March 31st had 98% of the county in Severe Drought (D2), which was reduced to 58% by the end of the month. It was the driest July through April stretch on record. Precipitation deficits since the beginning of the drought remained around 11 inches.

New Hampshire faced a pronounced north-south divide in precipitation amounts during April 2026. Northern New Hampshire benefited from wetter short-term precipitation patterns and a gradual snowmelt, which yielded localized improvements in overall drought intensity and shallow groundwater conditions. Conversely, coastal and southern areas faced substantial precipitation deficits exceeding two inches. This poor spring recharge actively drove drought degradation, prompting the reintroduction of Moderate Drought (D1) across southern New Hampshire. Groundwater levels across regional monitoring networks remained critically low, heavily constrained by long-term moisture deficits. Despite minor surface-level recoveries in soil layers and small reservoirs, water levels in waterways underperformed expectations, with streamgages finishing the month exhibiting below-normal to much-below-normal streamflows. No flooding or significant runoff events were reported anywhere in the state, mirroring the quiet hydrologic conditions seen throughout the region. Overall drought conditions improved in the north, and worsened in the south.