SUN JOURNAL • August 14, 2025
More than a third of Maine is now in moderate drought thanks in part to weeks of dry weather and extreme heat, according to new data released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor, with much of the rest of the state facing conditions just shy of an official drought. The flash drought conditions developed in a matter of weeks and are likely to spread and worsen through the end of the month, said Sarah Jamison, service hydrologist with the National Weather Service office in Gray. More than 1 million people live in the drought area, which encompasses much of southern, central and Down East Maine. Another 43.6% of the state — including the western mountains, highlands and eastern interior — is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, one step below an official drought. Only the far northern reaches of Maine are still considered to have normal conditions.