PORTLAND, Maine - The severe-to-extreme drought that last week was affecting more than a quarter of Maine, has receded somewhat, thanks to the heavy rain we've been seeing over the last day or so.
That's according to National Weather Service hydrologist Tom Hawley; he says the U.S. Drought Monitor this week is looking very different than a week ago.
"We did see an improvement in the drought monitor this week," Hawley says. "We did have a fairly large area of extreme drought in southern Maine and that's been pared back to include just a portion of York County now. If things continue we may be able to pare it back a little more next week."
Now, a little under 20 percent of the state is affected - with only the southern tip of York County still in an extreme drought.
The state's expected to see some more showers Saturday, with more rain in the south on Monday. It's good news for people who rely on shallow-dug wells for their water supply - but Hawley says it will be some time before groundwater in the state is replenished.