A lack of rain in recent months has led to abnormally dry conditions in much of the state.
But according to the National Drought Mitigation Center, southeastern Vermont is experiencing a moderate drought.
Areas affected include southern Windsor County, Windham County, western Bennington County and a corner of Rutland County.
“We need about 6 to 8 inches of rain, especially where the drought area is, in southern Vermont, to bring us back to normal,” says Andy Nash, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Burlington.
Nash says it would take 3 to 4 inches of rain for conditions in the rest of the state to get back to normal.
He doesn’t expect drought conditions to expand northward, but they could extend into southwestern Vermont in coming weeks.
Nash says parts of Massachusetts are experience a severe drought and there’s a possibility some parts of southern Vermont could be upgraded to severe drought conditions in the future.
Nash says rain in coming days should prevent conditions from worsening, at least in the near term.
