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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Massachusetts is in need of several months of normal or above-normal precipitation to end its current drought, according to the state's drought management task force.
Four of the state's seven regions—the Northeast, Southeast, Central, and Connecticut River Valley regions—are in critical drought conditions, while the Cape Cod region is in a significant drought, and the Western and Islands regions are in a mild drought.
This drought is similar to the levels of drought seen in the second half of 2016 when every region except the Cape and Islands was in critical drought from September to November. Vandana Rao, the Chair of the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force, told WBZ's Laurie Kirby that Monday's rain storm is a first step in helping alleviate some of these drought conditions.
"Any amount of rain is a welcomed relief," Rao said. "We've been so below normal for the month of July and so far in August that any rain events like this are really welcomed."
Read More: Grass Paint Is Helping Massachusetts Lawns Look Alive During The Drought
However, Rao said the rain seen on Monday is not nearly enough to get Massachusetts out of its drought.
"Right now we are anywhere between at least four to 10 inches below where we need to be at this time of the year," she said. "If we're just in a mild drought a couple of rain events like this could potentially bring us out but because we're already [in a critical drought] it's going to take some time for us to get out of this."
Areas experiencing critical drought levels have bans on all non-essential water use.
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