Drought Conditions Now 'Severe' In Hartford, Tolland Counties

HARTFORD/TOLLAND COUNTIES, CT — Dry conditions have worsened in Hartford and Tolland counties, officials from the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection said Tuesday.

State officials said that the U.S. Drought Monitor has expanded the area covered by the D2 — Severe Drought — category in Connecticut. Rainfall during the past seven days "has been hit or miss" from thunderstorms and has generally ranged from a quarter to three-quarters of an inch across most of the state, officials said.

Hartford County seems to be in better shape in the north central and eastern parts of the state with higher amounts of rain falling near Windsor Locks, for example.

Tolland County has missed out on several storms and the Interstate 84 corridor in Eastern Connecticut has been "very dry" with less than a quarter-inch of rain over the past week, officials said.

Flow conditions have deteriorated since last week and many rivers are running much below normal, officials said. They added that average reservoir levels have also dropped from 93 percent last week to 85 percent this week.

Fire danger is currently fluctuating between high and very high depending on the weather forecast on each day. The 90-day rainfall deficit is currently about 5.7 inches, officials said.

Models are predicting "just a few" opportunities for showers or thunderstorms during the next few days, officials said. Most of the showers and thunderstorms are forecast for Wednesday afternoon and Sunday, officials said.

Total rainfall this week is forecast to only average a half-inch for Connecticut, officials said.

Here are the latest statistics: