Drought Information Statement for Central Pennsylvania 
Valid October 24, 2025
Issued by: WFO State College
Contact Information: ctp.stormreports@noaa.gov
This product will be updated November 7, 2025, 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.

Long-term dryness persists across Central Pennsylvania, although some improvement is expected over the next couple of weeks. Despite the potential short-term improvement, drought conditions are largely expected to persist into early 2026.

U.S. Drought Monitor Drought Intensity and Extent for Central Pennsylvania:
D2 (Severe Drought): Warren, McKean
D1 (Moderate Drought): Potter, Elk, Cameron, Tioga, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan, Union, Snyder, Northumberland, Montour, Columbia, Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Dauphin, Schuylkill
D0: (Abnormally Dry): Clearfield, Centre, Cambria, Somerset, Bedford, Fulton, Franklin, Cumberland, Adams, York, Lancaster, Lebanon

Recent Change in Drought Intensity:
One Week Drought Monitor Class Change:
Outside a some subtle improvement in the central mountains, drought conditions have largely remained the same across Central Pennsylvania over the past week.

30-Day Precipitation and Percent of Normal:
Southeastern Pennsylvania has been dry, while northern & western Pennsylvania have seen near average precipitation.

7-Day & 30-Day Temperature Anomalies:
7-day temperature anomalies have above average west & below average east, while 30-day temperature anomalies have been above to well above average statewide.

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

Agricultural Impacts:
A warm and dry late Summer/early Fall resulted in reports of reduced crop yield across portions of Central Pennsylvania. However, chilly nighttime temperatures and a decreasing sun angle have brought an end to the growing season for much of Central Pennsylvania.

Fire Hazard Impacts:
The Significant Wildfire Potential is currently elevated across much of Central Pennsylvania.

Other Impacts:
As of October 20, 2025, county’s with burn bans across Central Pennsylvania include Elk, Cameron, Clearfield, Huntingdon, and Somerset.

Mitigation Actions:
See “Hydrologic Impacts” above.

As of October 10, 2025:
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a Drought Watch for several Pennsylvania counties. (The NWS does not declare Drought Watches or Warnings.)

Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts:
7-Day Average Streamflows are running near to below average across Central Pennsylvania.

Seven Day Precipitation Forecast:
The 7-Day precipitation forecast ranges from around 0.75” across western Pennsylvania to over 1.50” across the south-central mountains.

8-14 Day Outlook:
The 8-14 day outlook for October 2025 is trending towards near to below average temperatures and above average precipitation for Pennsylvania. The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.

Drought Outlook:
The latest seasonal drought outlook calls for existing drought conditions to persist across Pennsylvania into January 2026. The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.