Drought Information Statement for Central Pennsylvania 
Valid June 5, 2026
Issued by: National Weather Service State College
The next update to this Drought Information Statement will be issued by June 19, 2026.

The next 7 days are expected to be drier than average, with a gradual trend towards above average precipitation later in June.
Long-term drought conditions continue across portions of south-central Pennsylvania, and the Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal drought outlook calls for existing drought conditions to largely persist through this summer for south-central Pennsylvania.

U.S. Drought Monitor Drought Intensity and Extent for Central Pennsylvania:

D2 (Severe Drought): Franklin, Adams, York, Lancaster
D1 (Moderate Drought): Bedford, Fulton,  Huntingdon, Dauphin, Lebanon, Cumberland
D0 (Abnormally Dry): Northumberland, Columbia, Schuylkill, Juniata, Perry

One-Week Change in Drought Intensity:
Minor improvement was observed along portions of the northern edge of the D1 drought conditions in east-central Pennsylvania.

30-Day Precipitation and Percent of Normal:
30-day precipitation was below average across portions of the Lower Susquehanna Valley and generally near average elsewhere across Central Pennsylvania.

Summary of Impacts:

Hydrologic Impacts:
Short-term improvement has been observed, although long-term precipitation deficits persist across south-central PA.

Agricultural Impacts:
0 to 100 centimeter soil moisture remains anomalously dry across far south-central Pennsylvania, while being near average across north-central Pennsylvania.

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

Other Impacts:
There are no countywide burn bans currently in effect across Central Pennsylvania.

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

Latest PA drought designations:
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a Drought Watches and Warnings for several south-central Pennsylvania counties. (The NWS does not declare Drought Watches or Warnings.)

Agricultural Conditions:
0 to 100 centimeter soil moisture remains anomalously dry across portions of south-central and southeastern Pennsylvania, while being generally near to above average elsewhere.

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

Seven Day Precipitation Forecast:
The seven-day forecast calls for below average precipitation, with a tenth to a quarter of an inch of rain expected across most of Central Pennsylvania and a quarter to a half an inch across the western highlands.

8-14 Day Outlook:
The 8-14 day outlook calls for above average temperatures and near to above average precipitation for Central Pennsylvania. The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.

Drought Outlook:
The latest Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Seasonal Drought Outlook calls for lingering drought conditions across south-central Pennsylvania to persist through late August 2026, with some improvement possible across southeastern Pennsylvania. The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.