Forecast: Drought conditions will last until winter

Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close Forecast: Drought conditions will last until winter 1 / 23 Back to Gallery

Despite recent rains, the region continues to struggle under severe drought conditions, which is affecting everything from the size of apples to the brilliance of the foliage.

The latest update shows that even over the past six six weeks, the Bridgeport area has received less than normal precipitation, with a 1.37 inch shortfall. That comes after a nearly 7-inch deficit for the 18 months before that.

There is hope, forecasters say. With the breaking up of the El Nino conditions that kept temperatures up and snow away last winter, things should settle into a normal New England winter by the end of the year.

Melting snowpack in spring feeds rivers and streams, raising the water level slowly enough to avoid flooding, according to the National Weather Service.

So even if you don’t ski, pray for snow.

Mandatory water use restrictions were implemented in September for Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan by officials in those towns and the Aquarion Water Co.

The New Haven-based Regional Water Authority that serves Milford and the Valley towns asked its customers last week to voluntarily cut back on their use of water, foregoing activities like watering plants and washing cars and decks.

The state has a Drought Preparedness Plan that calls for voluntary water use restrictions followed by mandatory bans.