Wednesday Rain Not Enough to Break Seacoast Drought

The good news is that parts of northern New England will get some rain on Wednesday. The bad news is that is won't be enough to break the drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor has most of Rockingham and Stafford counties in New Hampshire and most of York County in Maine in a severe drought. Most of Essex County is in a severe drought. The weekly update on conditions is scheduled to be released Thursday.

A coastal storm will bring widespread rain on Wednesday with a soaking rain across Maine and northern and central New Hampshire that could amount to a half inch of rain, accoding to meteorologist Stephen Baron at the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine.

"The Seacoast it's not looking great. Maybe .12 inches for Rochester and .15 for coastal areas," Baron told Seacoast Current. "Rain will be more hit-and-miss rather than uniform and widespread."

The storm will also bring gusty winds to the immediate coast with winds out of the northwest gusting up to 35 mph. A High Surf Advisory is in effect for large breaking waves between 5 and 8 feet, creating dangerous swimming and surfing conditions and localized beach erosion.

The storm developed off the coast of the Carolinas and is similar to a nor'easter. But it's tracking too far to the east to bring its heaviest rain to more coastal areas.

Temperatures will only be around 70 on Wednesday for a fall-like feel, but will rise back into the 80s Friday with sunny skies through the weekend.

Baron said there is a chance at significant rain next week, but it's a bit early to predict how much, if any, the Seacoast region will receive.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH