Drought Information Statement for Central Pennsylvania 
Valid August 12, 2024
Issued by: WFO State College
Contact Information: ctp.stormreports@noaa.gov
This product will be updated August 19, 2024 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/CTP/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 
Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/ for regional drought status updates.
The first week of August saw Extreme Drought (D3) conditions) develop
across southern Somerset County and far southern Bedford County.
Recent rainfall froim the remnants of Hurricane Debbie has allowed for some improvement, which should be reflected in updated drought
monitor maps later this week.

U.S. Drought Monitor
D3 (Extreme Drought)
D2 (Severe Drought)
D1 (Moderate Drought)
D0: (Abnormally Dry)

30-Day Precipitation & Percent of Normal
Main Takeaways:
Although much of the past 30 days have been dry, recent rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Debbie have pushed us above normal, and some improvement to drought conditions is expected.

30-Day & 7-Day Temperature Anomalies
Main takeaways:
30-day temperature departures across Central PA have generally been above normal, with a cooling trend over the most recent 7 days.

Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts
Average streamflows have markedly improved across Central PA since the remnants of Hurricane Debbie produced significant rainfall across the area late last week.
Most of the area is now seeing much above normal steamflows, and even the drier western highlands have seen improvement to near to above normal streamflows.
This should allow for some improvement in regional drought conditions with the next update to the U.S. Drought Montior, although groundwater may be slower to recover.

USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map

Summary of Impacts
Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter
Hydrologic Impacts 
7-day streamflows have risen to well above average across much of Central PA due to the recent rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Debbie.

Agricultural Impacts
Impacts to agriculture, including significant reduction in hay growth and low or completely dried out ponds, have been observed across portions of the Laurel Highlands and southern Alleghenies.  Somerset County has been particularly hard hit.

Mitigation Actions
Please refere to your municipality and/or water provided for mitigation information.

8-14 Day Temperature & Precipitation Outlooks
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
A trend towards below normal temperatures and near to above normal precipitation is expected for late August, which could help continue to improve lingering drought conditions across Central PA.

Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Overall improvement in drought conditions is expected during the month of August, and rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Debbie have allowed streamflows across much Central PA to rise well above normal.
The expected trend towards below normal temperatures and near to above normal precipitation should continue to aid in improvement in the coming month.

Links to the latest:
Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook 
Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook