With severe drought bearing down, city announces burn ban till further notice

ROCHESTER - The City of Rochester has announced a ban on outdoor fires that will remain in effect until further notice due to current drought conditions that could go from moderate to severe in as little as two weeks if the area doesn't get a soaking rain, according to the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine.
The ban will remain in effect until a significant amount of rain has been received, according to a release from the city on Friday.
No significant rainfall is forecast locally in the next 10 days, which could lead to a "severe" drought, said Sarah Jamison, a hydrologist at the NWS.
Jamison noted that the slide into a drought period began in June, and ever since then the lack of rainfall has been precipitous.
"The (Strafford County) region has seen a deficit of 4 to 6 inches of rain in the last 90 days and shows a 20-30 percent deficit " she told The Rochester Voice today.
Jamison also explained that the very high temps during a summer growing period that requires a lot of moisture has only exacerbated the dry conditions.
She added that the region needs at least five inches of rain a month to keep up with evaporation, and it's not getting it.
In the next two weeks nothing more than spotty showers or isolated thunderstorms are forecast and "that's not enough," added Jamison.
Any Rochester residents with questions or concerns about the burn ban should contact the Rochester Fire Department at (603) 335-7545.