A drier-than-usual summer has brought a return of drought conditions to coastal and eastern Maine, but the dry weather’s effects remain mild compared to the much longer-running drought of 2016.

Geographic data from the United States Drought Monitor shows how “abnormally dry” conditions spread and intensified across coastal and eastern Maine during July and August. The state received some relief from a heavy rainstorm on Aug. 18, when Portland recorded 1.91 inches of rainfall.

Click and drag the slider below to watch drought conditions spread over the past 6 weeks:

* As of August 29.
SOURCE: National Weather Service, University of Nebraska National Drought Mitigation Center
INTERACTIVE: Christian MilNeil | @c_milneil

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