Water and Precipitation Resources

River
Stages

Drought

Snowfall
Info

Flood
History

Flood
Safety

Precipitation Departures from Normal

Read the latest Drought Statement from NWS State College.

Coming soon: Experimental Graphical Local Drought Information Statement (PDF)

Current Drought Declarations (as of 2/1/2024)
(Courtesy PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP))

Common Questions:

Are we below normal for precipitation?

See: Departure from Normal Maps
(from the MARFC)

What are streamflows like right now?

See: USGS = Daily Streamflow Map

What are well levels like right now?

See: USGS = PA GroundWater Well Levels.

How much precipitation have we been getting the last few years?

Generate plots: Statewide Precipitation (or Temperature) trends

How much precipitation do we normally receive in a year/month?

See: Maps of Normal Annual and Monthly Precipitation in PA

Normal Annual PA Precip (inches)

Useful links:

Drought Monitoring Tools
See the Climate Prediction Center's Seasonal Drought Outlook
U.S. Drought Monitor
Climate Diagnostics Center - Monitoring Drought
Current Palmer Drought Index Map
Read an explanation/definition of the Palmer Drought (Severity) Index.
Check out the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) homepage.

Recent Snowfall

Public Reports (as appropriate)
When we obtain reports from across the region - whether from spotters, the general public, or solicited information from people like PennDOT or Emergency Personnel - we quality-check the data. We then try to issue Public Information Statements that summarize this information. Latest 24-hr Snowfall Report Map


000
NOUS41 KCTP 191032
PNSCTP
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-
049>053-056>059-063>066-191445-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
632 AM EDT Fri Apr 19 2024

...PENNSYLVANIA SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK...

This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Pennsylvania.

Now is the time to prepare for the upcoming severe weather
season.

Our final topic is Ways to Become Involved - SKYWARN spotters,
HAM radio, Weather Ready Nation and StormReady.

There are many different ways to become involved with your local
National Weather Service office during severe weather season.

One such opportunity is the SKYWARN program. SKYWARN is made up of
a group of dedicated volunteer weather spotters, who provide
National Weather Service offices across the country with
eyewitness information about tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and
flooding. SKYWARN spotters are people with an interest in the
weather, and an interest in helping others. While Doppler weather
radar can help meteorologists identify severe thunderstorms and
tornadoes, eyewitness accounts from SKYWARN spotters can help to
pinpoint places where a tornado may form, even before a tornado
touches ground. SKYWARN spotters are also essential to confirm
that tornadoes have touched down, to report on the extent of
damage, and to provide added details of a threat to a community.

A large number of Skywarn spotters are also HAM radio operators.
Amateur radio emergency groups and amateur radio clubs are called
into action whenever Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm watches or
warnings are in effect. These HAM radio operators collect
information via HAM radio nets, and then relay that information to
the National Weather Service.

There are also ways for organizations to become involved in the
National Weather Service mission of a Weather Ready Nation.
Weather Ready Nation is an initiative for organizations external
to the National Weather Service to build community resilience
during severe weather. Building a Weather Ready Nation requires
innovative partnerships with other weather information providers
across the Weather Enterprise, and with organizations in all
segments of society. Together, we can improve severe weather
preparedness for communities, businesses, and individuals.

Organizations can sign up to be Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors.
Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors create outreach content,
collaborate on disaster preparedness, and incorporate weather,
water, and climate information in decision making. They also help
share National Weather Service forecasts ahead of severe weather
in order to get the word out to as much of the community as
possible.

Another part of the Weather Ready Nation is a program called
StormReady. StormReady helps prepare communities with the
communication and safety skills needed to protect lives and property
before, during, and after severe weather. StormReady helps
community leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety
programs. StormReady communities, counties, Native nations,
universities and colleges, military bases, government sites,
commercial enterprises and other groups are better prepared to
protect lives from the onslaught of severe weather through
advanced planning, education and awareness. No community is storm
proof, but StormReady can help communities save lives.

All the staff of the Central Pennsylvania National Weather
Service forecast office would like to thank our many friends in
the SKYWARN program, HAM radio net, Weather Ready Nation
Ambassador program, and StormReady program for your great help.
Your volunteer efforts are very much appreciated. Together, we
will continue to build a Weather Ready Nation.

Be prepared for the dangers of this severe weather season, and
consider becoming a SKYWARN spotter, HAM Radio operator, Weather
Ready Nation Ambassador, or StormReady organization.


$$

Co-Operative (CoOp) Station Observations (Daily)
Once per day (usually around 7 am) more than 100 people across Central Pennsylvania send the NWS an observation covering the past 24 hours. Most report rain and snow totals. See the daily data from the CoOperative Observers


000
SXUS51 KCTP 191500
HYDCTP
PAC001-009-013-021-023-027-033-035-037-041-043-047-055-057-061-067-
071-075-081-083-087-093-097-099-105-107-109-111-113-117-119-123-
133-201500-

Daily Hydrometeorological Data Summary
National Weather Service State College PA
1100 AM EDT Fri Apr 19 2024


TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION FOR THE PAST 24 HOURS.

                                        TEMPERATURE          SNOW
STATION          OBSTIME     PRECIP    MAX   MIN   OBSN   NEW TOTAL

    Adams County
Biglerville         7am         T      68    46     46    0.0    0
Cashtown            7am          M      M     M      M      M    M

    Blair County
Altoona             7am       0.03     68    45     52    0.0    0
Altoona Airport     7am       0.00     68    49     51      M    M
Tyrone              7am       0.00      M     M      M      M    M
Williamsburg      715am         T      71    45     52      M    M

    Cambria County
Ebensburg           8am          M      M     M      M      M    M
Ebensburg 1SW       7am       0.00      M     M     49    0.0    0
Johnstown Airport   7am       0.00     63    48     51      M    M
Prince Gallitzin  630am          M      M     M      M      M    M

    Cameron County
Stevenson Dam       7am       0.00     68    43     46    0.0    0

    Centre County
Philipsburg 2S      7am       0.00     64    44     48      M    M
State College       8am       0.00     66    50     50    0.0    0

    Clearfield County
Clearfield          7am       0.00     65    42     52      M    M
Dubois            630am          M      M     M      M      M    M
Grampian            8am       0.02     65    41     52      M    M

    Clinton County
Lock Haven          7am       0.00     70    49     51    0.0    0
Renovo              7am       0.00     69    47     52    0.0    0

    Cumberland County
Carlisle            7am         T      66    47     47    0.0    0
Shippensburg       12am          M      M     M      M      M    M

    Dauphin County
Harrisburg          7am       0.00     63    47     48    0.0    0
Harrisburg 1 NE     7am          M      M     M      M      M    M

    Elk County
Ridgway             7am       0.00     64    40     49    0.0    0

    Harford County MD
Conowingo Dam MD    7am       0.00      M     M      M      M    M

    Huntingdon County
Raystown Lake       7am       0.03     69    53     53      M    M

    Lancaster County
Holtwood            7am       0.00      M     M      M      M    M
Lancaster          12am         T      61    49     47      M    M
Lancaster Airport   7am       0.00     61    47     47      M    M
Millersville        7am       0.00     62    46     46      M    M
New Holland        12am       0.01     59    46     46    0.0    0
Safe Harbor         7am       0.00     63    47     48      M    M

    Lebanon County
Lebanon 2W         12am       0.02     55    47     47    0.0    0
Fort Indiantown Gap 7am          M      M     M     46      M    M

    Lycoming County
Williamsport        7am       0.00     64    48     48    0.0    0

    Mckean County
Bradford            8am          M      M     M      M      M    M
Bradford Airport    7am       0.00     61    41     50      M    M
Kane                7am       0.03     61    38     46    0.0    0

    Mifflin County
Lewistown           7am       0.00     71    50     50    0.0    0

    Northumberland County
Sunbury             7am       0.00     65    45     46      M    M

    Potter County
Coudersport 1SW     7am          M      M     M      M      M    M
Galeton             8am       0.00      M     M      M      M    M

    Schuylkill County
Mahanoy City        7am       0.02     49    40     40      M    M
Pine Grove          7am       0.00      M     M     44    0.0    0

    Snyder County
Selinsgrove         7am         T      65    47     47      M    M
Selinsgrove Airport 7am       0.00     65    51     48      M    M

    Somerset County
Confluence          7am          M      M     M      M      M    M
Glencoe             7am          M      M     M      M      M    M
Hidden Valley       8am       0.00     64    48     49    0.0    0
Laurel Summit       7am       0.00     62    47     47      M    M
Somerset            7am       0.00      M     M     54    0.0    0
Windber 7SE         7am       0.00     63    45     45    0.0    0

    Sullivan County
Laporte             7am          M      M     M      M      M    M

    Tioga County
Covington           7am          M      M     M      M      M    M
Cowanesque Dam      7am       0.00     67    49     49    0.0    0
Tioga Hammond Dam   7am       0.00     65    47     47      M    M
Wellsboro           7am       0.00     66    44     44    0.0    0

    Union County
Lewisburg           7am         T      65    46     46    0.0    0

    Warren County
Kinzua Dam          7am          M      M     M      M      M    M
Warren              7am       0.00     61    44     49    0.0    0

    York County
New Cumberland      7am       0.00     64    52     49      M    M
Thomasville         7am       0.00     68    47     48      M    M

$$

Seasonal Totals

Select Season:
seasonal snow map

TIP: right-click on image and choose "View Image" to see the map at full size.

Seasonal Normals

What is normal (average) for my location?

Check the map below, which lists the Average Annual Snowfall for Pennsylvania. Then, if you need further/more-detailed (monthly averages) information, check the Climate Database for a location near you.

Select:

"Monthly avgs/totals" from Col #1 (Product)
Choose a location near to you from Col #2 (Location)
Select "Snowfall" from Col #3 (Variable)
Select "1981-2010" from Col#4 (Year)
Hit "GO!"

Average Annual Snowfall for Pennsylvania

Average Annual Snowfall for Pennsylvania, contours

Long Term Seasonal Averages

Location	Long-Term Average	30 Year Average 1991-2020
Harrisburg	33.2 since 1889	29.9
State College	45.9 since 1893	43.8
Williamsport	38.8 since 1895	35.8

Average Date of First Snowfall in Central PA

Date of Average Frist Snowfall

Long-Term Station Snowfall Totals
The following charts show the individual winter season snowfalls since 1980-1981. Continuous weather records have been kept since 1888 in Harrisburg, and since 1895 in both Williamsport and State College. Scroll down to see the larger images.

Harrisburg, PA Site Snowfall for recent winter seasons.
State College, PA Co-Operative Observation Site Snowfall for recent winter seasons.
Williamsport, PA Site Snowfall for recent winter seasons.
Laurel Summit, PA Co-Operative Observation Site Snowfall for recent winter seasons.
Chandler Valley (NW Warren County) Co-Operative Observation Site Snowfall for recent winter seasons.