For 13 weekends in a row, Granite Staters will have had to contend with rain. This time, the rains come with a flood watch for much of the state, and possible heavy wind gusts that could knock down some trees and branches.
“We’re looking at widespread two inches of rainfall through [Saturday], but there could be up to four inches in some places,” especially in southern New Hampshire, explained Donny Dumont, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
Vanessa Palange, community outreach coordinator with New Hampshire’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management office, is urging some precautions. She asks that residents have their emergency kits at hand and keep checking weather forecasts.
In case of an emergency situation, Palange said individuals should dial 911 immediately. For general advice on how to be better prepared for extreme precipitation events or dealing with a non-emergency situation, Palange asks that individuals direct their calls to their local fire station.
After an unusually wet May — in fact, this May was the fourth wettest in New Hampshire’s history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — this weekend marks an equally wet start to summer.
“Because we had such a wet late spring, there's a lot of moisture … so it will not take much for fronts to produce some downpours or some rain from time to time,” Paul Pastelok, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather explained.
“I think we are going to see a summer where there's more attempts and opportunities for rain than less,” he said.
Manchester is one of the areas that could see the most precipitation this summer. The city, which usually sees about four inches of rain, could see up to six inches of rain on average in the month of June, according to Pastelok.
All that rain will help keep temperatures down, especially in comparison to last year’s intense heat. In 2024, New Hampshire — and the entire country — registered its hottest summer on record. This year’s increased precipitation, combined with predicted cold fronts, means heat waves will most likely not last long or hit record breaking numbers, Pastelok said.
This overall trend of more extreme rainfall and temperatures is a result of human caused climate change. Extreme precipitation events, for example, have increased by about 60% in the Northeast since the 1950s, according to the most recent National Climate Assessment.
A wetter summer, while potentially more temperate, will also come with its share of challenges, Pastelok warned. Extreme weather events, such as severe storms or hurricanes, might hit New England in July. He explained that a new pattern has been developing which intensifies the range of impact from hurricanes along the coast.
“So we cannot rule out, at some point later this summer, a system coming up from the Gulf of Mexico and possibly having an impact down the road,” Pastelok said.
Energy bills might also be affected. According to Pastelok, more moisture can make nights feel particularly hot and humid, leading people to make more use of their AC units for longer periods of time.
“I think we will save some energy compared to last year, but it may not be as much as you think,” he said.
