PLYMOUTH

OTIS

LEE

WARE

BARRE

BECKET

PETERSHAM

SAVOY

BOSTON

ATHOL

TAUNTON

MONSON

COLRAIN

NEW SALEM

DARTMOUTH

CARVER

PERU

BARNSTABLE

WESTPORT

SHEFFIELD

HOLDEN

BLANDFORD

CONWAY

FALMOUTH

REHOBOTH

SUTTON

ORANGE

WESTFIELD

ASHFIELD

CHARLTON

SANDISFIELD

MIDDLEBOROUGH

PALMER

SANDWICH

DOUGLAS

CHESTER

GROTON

ROWE

WARWICK

GRANVILLE

RUTLAND

NANTUCKET

HEATH

HARDWICK

PITTSFIELD

BOURNE

HAWLEY

WINDSOR

IPSWICH

WAREHAM

HANCOCK

BELCHERTOWN

EASTON

TOLLAND

ASHBY

SPENCER

ROYALSTON

FALL RIVER

LAKEVILLE

GILL

NORTON

WENDELL

GRANBY

LUDLOW

BRIMFIELD

ANDOVER

HAVERHILL

PELHAM

ADAMS

OXFORD

LENOX

STERLING

WINCHENDON

WARREN

UPTON

FREETOWN

HADLEY

PRINCETON

TRURO

STOW

WILLIAMSTOWN

DEERFIELD

STURBRIDGE

WORCESTER

ACTON

ASHBURNHAM

ROCHESTER

UXBRIDGE

SHARON

TOWNSEND

FLORIDA

AMHERST

WASHINGTON

HARVARD

DENNIS

NORTHFIELD

DALTON

MONTAGUE

HUBBARDSTON

WESTFORD

FRANKLIN

AGAWAM

DUDLEY

CHESHIRE

TEMPLETON

MASHPEE

SOUTHWICK

BILLERICA

DRACUT

SUDBURY

WESTMINSTER

BOLTON

CONCORD

SPRINGFIELD

BOXFORD

OAKHAM

DIGHTON

MONTEREY

FITCHBURG

HINGHAM

GRAFTON

HOLYOKE

NEWBURY

HARWICH

HOPKINTON

DUXBURY

SWANSEA

LANCASTER

ATTLEBORO

METHUEN

CANTON

WALES

GARDNER

NORTHAMPTON

CHICOPEE

LEOMINSTER

NEW MARLBOROUGH

EDGARTOWN

LEYDEN

BREWSTER

YARMOUTH

MARSHFIELD

LEVERETT

GREAT BARRINGTON

NATICK

LEICESTER

LUNENBURG

WHATELY

LYNN

WALPOLE

DOVER

HINSDALE

QUINCY

NORWELL

ESSEX

HALIFAX

RAYNHAM

WORTHINGTON

PEMBROKE

NEWTON

CHESTERFIELD

ROWLEY

GOSHEN

MENDON

HUNTINGTON

SHUTESBURY

PEPPERELL

WESTON

HAMPTON

RUSSELL

AUBURN

FRAMINGHAM

MILLIS

BRIDGEWATER

SEEKONK

PAXTON

WRENTHAM

SHELBURNE

BROCKTON

PHILLIPSTON

CHILMARK

ERVING

CHARLEMONT

SOUTHAMPTON

PLAINFIELD

SHIRLEY

HANSON

WILBRAHAM

MIDDLEFIELD

KINGSTON

BERLIN

BOYLSTON

BUCKLAND

BERKLEY

AYER

LOWELL

MILTON

MANSFIELD

WEST TISBURY

MARION

HATFIELD

LANESBOROUGH

PEABODY

WESTHAMPTON

RICHMOND

LINCOLN

SCITUATE

GREENFIELD

ACUSHNET

WELLFLEET

BEVERLY

HOLLISTON

WILLIAMSBURG

TEWKSBURY

MILFORD

CUMMINGTON

CHELMSFORD

MILLBURY

WAYLAND

EGREMONT

LITTLETON

STOCKBRIDGE

CARLISLE

NORFOLK

NORTH ANDOVER

HANOVER

TYRINGHAM

BERNARDSTON

SHREWSBURY

WEYMOUTH

WEBSTER

HAMILTON

BELLINGHAM

ORLEANS

MEDFIELD

LEXINGTON

FOXBOROUGH

SALISBURY

SHERBORN

WOBURN

ALFORD

DANVERS

BEDFORD

DUNSTABLE

NORTH ADAMS

WALTHAM

EASTHAM

SOUTHBRIDGE

PLYMPTON

MARLBOROUGH

HOLLAND

HUDSON

ASHLAND

SAUGUS

NEW

BEDFORD

WESTBOROUGH

MEDWAY

WILMINGTON

STOUGHTON

BROOKFIELD

NEEDHAM

CHATHAM

NEW BRAINTREE

BRAINTREE

MIDDLETON

DEDHAM

AMESBURY

NORTHBRIDGE

SALEM

MONROE

SOUTH

.HADLEY

MATTAPOISETT

TOPSFIELD

FAIRHAVEN

WEST BROOKFIELD

READING

NORTHBOROUGH

GLOUCESTER

NORTH 

BROOKFIELD

SUNDERLAND

TYNGSBOROUGH

MOUNT 

WASHINGTON

PLAINVILLE

MONTGOMERY

ABINGTON

LYNNFIELD

NORWOOD RANDOLPH

CLARKSBURG

WESTWOOD

ROCKLAND

BURLINGTON

COHASSET

NEW ASHFORD

SOUTHBOROUGH

WEST

STOCKBRIDGE

EASTHAMPTON

WEST NEWBURY

WEST SPRINGFIELD

WENHAM

GEORGETOWN

WELLESLEY

EAST BRIDGEWATER

BLACKSTONE

MEDFORD

CLINTON

AVON

MERRIMAC

NORTH

ATTLEBOROUGH

NORTH READING

WEST

 BOYLSTON

TISBURY

GOSNOLD

GROVELAND

WEST BRIDGEWATER

SOMERSET

WHITMAN

REVERE

BOXBOROUGH

WAKEFIELD

LAWRENCE

HOLBROOK

LONGMEADOW

EAST

LONGMEADOW

ROCKPORT

PROVINCETOWN

MALDEN

CAMBRIDGE

OAK BLUFFS

STONEHAM

BROOKLINE

GAY HEAD

EAST

 BROOKFIELD

MANCHESTER

MAYNARD

NEWBURYPORT

MILLVILLE

HULL

BELMONT

HOPEDALE

MELROSE

WINCHESTER

ARLINGTON

EVERETT

SOMERVILLE

WATERTOWN

CHELSEA

SWAMPSCOTT

73°

73°

72°

72°

71°

71°

70°

70°

41°30"

70°

41°30

42° 42°

42°30"

42°30"

25 0 25 KILOMETER

SCALE 1:400,000

25 0 25 MILE

EXPLANATION

Precipitation, in inches —Based on PRISM data for 1971 to 2000.

Grid resolution is approximately 783.8 meters

62 to less than 62.795277

60 to less than 62

58 to less than 60

56 to less than 58

54 to less than 56

52 to less than 54

50 to less than 52

48 to less than 50

46 to less than 48

44 to less than 46

42 to less than 44

41.181103 to less than 42

Boundary

State

Town

Coast

Watershed

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:24,000,

Lambert conformal conic projection. 1983 North American datum

References

Daly, C., Gibson, W.P., Taylor, G.H., Johnson, G.L., Pasteris, P., 2002,

A knowledge-based approach to the statistical mapping of climate:

Climate Research, v. 22, p. 99-113.

Executive Office of Energy

and Environmental Affairs

100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900

Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Phone: 617-626-1000

Fax: 617-626-1181

MassDEP Headquarters

1 Winter Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02108

Phone: 617-292-5500

Fax: 617-556-1049

U.S. Geological Survey

Massachusetts-Rhode Island Water Science Center 

10 Bearfoot Rd

Northborough, Massachusetts 01532

Phone: 508-490-5000

Fax: 508-490-5068

E N V I R O N M E N T A L

P R O T E C T I O N

M a s s a c h u s e t t s

D e p a r t m e n t

of

EXECUTIVE OFFICE of ENERGY

& ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

1

2

3

4

5

6 7

8

9 10

11

12

13

15

16

17

18 19

20

21

22

23

24

26 25

27

2

17

14

14

12

19

15

9 21

14

1 - BLACKSTONE

2 - BOSTON HARBOR

3 - BUZZARDS BAY

4 - CAPE COD

5 - CHARLES

6 - CHICOPEE

7 - CONNECTICUT

8 - DEERFIELD

9 - FARMINGTON

10 - FRENCH

11 - HOUSATONIC

12 - HUDSON

13 - IPSWICH

14 - ISLANDS

15 - MERRIMACK

16 - MILLERS

17 - NARRAGANSETT BAY

18 - NASHUA

19 - NORTH COASTAL

20 - PARKER

21 - QUINEBAUG

22 - SHAWSHEEN

23 - SOUTH COASTAL

24 - SuAsCo

25 - TAUNTON

26 - TEN MILE

27 - WESTFIELD

EXPLANATION

Basin Index 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Prepared in cooperation with the

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

PRISM Group, 2006, United States average monthly

or annual precipitation 1971–2000: Corvallis, OR,

Oregon State University, June 12.

Average Annual Precipitation, in Inches, for Massachusetts. Average Annual Precipitation is Computed over the Period 1971-2000 Using 

the Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes (PRISM) Model (Daly, 2002)

By

Lance J. Ostiguy, Peter K. Weiskel, and Stacey A. Archfield

2009

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS REPORT 2009-5227

Average annual precipitation—APPENDIX 1, FIGURE 1-2

Ostiguy, L.J., Weiskel, P.K., and Archfield, S.A., 2009

The Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator:

A Decision-Support Tool to Assess Water Availability at Ungaged Sites in Massachusetts