This fall was pretty dang dry...

It seems crazy that we could still be in any kind of drought. It seemed like a whole lot of 2023 was plagued by rain, and even a bunch of late season snow. But then the end of summer rolled into fall, and all the rain simply disappeared. Through parts of summer, my lawn looked totally awesome, but not for long.

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By the time September rolled around, the sun just started baking everything dry. And it certainly stayed warm and dry. Kids were out trick or treating in short sleeves this year. And despite the fact that it's pouring outside as I write this, most of Maine is in pretty rough shape from north to south.

Bangor and Millinocket actually broke records this year.

Man digging in desert
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According to the BDN, despite records being set in Bangor and Millinocket, there were actually areas hit much harder. In the Southern part of Maine, the tip of York County was hit the hardest. while most areas were considered moderate, that area was in the extreme category.

Aleksei Nikolaev
Aleksei Nikolaev
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Up in the County, things were much more tame, although still considered to be in drought conditions. With their lower temps throughout the year, and the extra snow they're known for up there, the County stays a bit ahead of the curve. Although, they did have their only 7th green Christmas in almost 100 years, last year.

A beautiful display of Christmas lights brighten a dark snowy evening.
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What's the main problem with drought?

There's several, and they all kind of affect each other. For instance, a lot of people when faced with a browning lawn, tend to crank up the sprinkler. This causes a big draw on the water supply when people constantly water their lawns. But the main thing to look out for is the increased fire danger.

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When drought conditions are more extreme, it causes vegetation to lose most of it's internal moisture and everything becomes a giant tinder box. Outdoor fires become quite dangerous, as we see every year on the West Coast especially. So for the upcoming year. start wishing for more rain and snow, because boy... do we need it!

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