New Hampshire, 2001

Drought in New Hampshire, May 1 to 26, 2001

May 1 to 26, 2001 · NWS GYX · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

The lack of significant rainfall in April and May resulted in dangerously dry ground conditions throughout the state. Numerous wildfires were reported throughout the state and the dry conditions also stunted the growth of spring crops.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GYX wrote it up.

The lack of significant rainfall in April and May resulted in dangerously dry ground conditions throughout the state. Numerous wildfires were reported throughout the state and the dry conditions also stunted the growth of spring crops. In Concord, May's precipitation was only 2.33 inches for the month; April precipitation was only 0.84 inches. For the 31 days between April 13 and May 14, only 0.18 inches of precipitation fell, and for the 44 days between April 13 and May 26, only .45 inches of precipitation was reported. The dry conditions prompted officials to order a state-wide outdoor burning ban. In Woodsville, in Grafton County, a wildfire which was believed to be the largest in the state in 10 years consumed about 135 acres of mostly forest land and also destroyed a home and a barn. Numerous smaller wildfires were reported throughout the state.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Gray, ME wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 30, 7:29 PM EST, 4 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 7:29 PM EST, 4 hours 31 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
829 PM EDT MON APR 30 2001

CLDS STILL STREAMING SE DWN THE ERN PART OF THE RIDGE ACRS WRN ME BUT
DSIPATING AS THEY REACH THE COAST.  SRN NH MSTLY CLEAR.  WL UPDATE TO
REMOVE EVENING FCST PD AND TOUCH UP SKY FCST IN TNGT PORTION.

GYX...NIL.

TEB

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Belknap

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Belknap forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.519, -71.423 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Coastal Rockingham

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Coastal Rockingham forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.985, -71.089 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Interior Rockingham

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Interior Rockingham forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.985, -71.089 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Merrimack

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Merrimack forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.298, -71.680 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Carroll

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northern Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.874, -71.203 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Coos

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northern Coos forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.690, -71.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Grafton

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northern Grafton forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.941, -71.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Carroll

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southern Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.874, -71.203 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Coos

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southern Coos forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.690, -71.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Grafton

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southern Grafton forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.941, -71.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Strafford

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Strafford forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.297, -71.029 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Sullivan

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Sullivan forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.361, -72.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Hampshire in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in New Hampshire, May 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5245075, 5245076, 5245077, 5245078, 5245079, 5245080, 5245081, 5245082, 5245083, 5245084, 5245085, 5245086.