Drought Information Statement 
for Central Pennsylvania 
Valid November 29, 2024
Issued by: WFO State College
Contact Information: 
This product will be updated December 6, 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.

Slight improvement has been observed across portions of northern and western PA.
A Drought Warning continues for Schuylkill County.


U.S. Drought Monitor Drought Intensity and Extent:

D2 (Severe Drought): Somerset, York, Lancaster, Lebanon, Schuylkill, Columbia, Northumberland

D1 (Moderate Drought): Cambria, Bedford, Fulton, Franklin, Adams, Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, Union, Snyder, Lycoming, Tioga, Montour, Sullivan

D0 (Abnormally Dry): Warren, McKean, Potter, Elk, Cameron, Clearfield, Blair, Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata


Precipitation and Percent of Normal:
Precipitation over the past 30 days has remained below average across much of the region, outside of southwestern & far northeastern Pennsylvania.

Temperature Anomalies:
Temperatures have been above to well above average over the past 7 days and the past 30 days.


Summary of Impacts:

Hydrologic Impacts:
Several communities, primarily across southern Pennsylvania, have enacted either voluntary or mandatory water restrictions.

Agricultural Impacts:
Agriculture has largely gone dormant for the season across Pennsylvania.

Fire Hazard Impacts:
Fire hazards remain elevated across primarly the southeastern half of the commonwealth.

Other Impacts:
Burn bans are in effect for the following Central Pennsylvania counties (per the PA DCNR and/or local officials): Somerset, Blair, Huntingdon, Franklin, York, Lebanon, Montour, and Columbia. Burn bans are also in effect for many individual municipalities across primarily the southeastern half of the commonwealth.

Mitigation Actions:
See “Hydrologic Impacts” above.

Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts:
Streamflows remain below to well below average across southeastern Pennsylvania, but have recovered to near normal elsewhere.


Seven Day Precipitation Forecast:
The 7-day precipitation forecast will mainly comprise of snowfall, and range from a liquid equivalent of 1-2 inches across far northwestern PA to little if any across southeastern PA.


Long-Range Outlooks:
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.
The seasonal outlook for November 2024 through January 2025 calls for above average temperatures and near average precipitation.


Drought Outlook:
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.
Drought conditions are expected to persist across southwestern and much of eastern Pennsylvania through the remainder of November 2024.