Drought Information Statement for Central Pennsylvania 
Valid April 24, 2026
Issued by: National Weather Service State College
The next update to this Drought Information Statement will be issued by May 8, 2026.

Recent rainfall has continued to produce short-term improvement across Central Pennsylvania, although long-term dryness persists across portions of the south. The Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal drought outlook calls for existing drought conditions across south-central Pennsylvania to largely persist through at least mid-summer.

U.S. Drought Monitor Drought Intensity and Extent for Central Pennsylvania:
D2 (Severe Drought): Bedford, Fulton, Franklin, Lancaster
D1 (Moderate Drought): Schuylkill, Huntingdon, Dauphin, Lebanon, Cumberland, Adams, York
D0 (Abnormally Dry): Centre, Union, Snyder, Northumberland, Montour, Columbia, Somerset, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry

One-Week Drought Monitor Class Change:
Conditions continued to deteriorate across portions of south-central Pennsylvania over the past week.

30-Day Precipitation and Percent of Normal:
Precipitation over the past 30 days has ranged from well above average across northern and western Pennsylvania to well below average across the far southeast.

7-Day & 30-Day Temperature Anomalies:
Both 7-day and 30-day temperatures anomalies were well above average statewide.

Hydrologic Impacts:
Long-term precipitation deficits persist across south-central PA, with conditions continuing to gradually deteriorate.

Agricultural Impacts:
Soil moisture ranged from near average across north-central Pennsylvania to below average across far south-central Pennsylvania.

Fire Hazard Impacts:
The significant wildfire potential outlook remains near average across Pennsylvania for May 2026.

Other Impacts:
As of April 20, 2026, there were no countywide burn bans in effect across central Pennsylvania.

Mitigation Actions:
There are both voluntary and mandatory water restrictions in place for some communities across central Pennsylvania. Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information.

Agricultural Conditions:
0 to 100 centimeter soil moisture ranges from near to above average across north-central Pennsylvania to well below average in the valleys of south-central Pennsylvania.

Fire Hazard Impacts:
The significant wildfire potential is near average for central Pennsylvania for the month of May 2026.

Seven Day Precipitation Forecast:
7-day precipitation is expected to generally range from 1-2 inches across central Pennsylvania, which is near to above average.

8-14 Day Outlook:
The 8-14 day outlooks calls is expected to be cooler than average with a trend towards near average precipitation. The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.

Drought Outlook:
The seasonal drought outlook calls for existing drought conditions across south-central Pennsylvania to largely persist through July 2026. The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.