Drought conditions were observed across a wide area of central Pennsylvania in September. According to the United States Drought Monitor, by months end portions of 9 counties were experiencing severe drought conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS CTP wrote it up.
Drought conditions were observed across a wide area of central Pennsylvania in September. According to the United States Drought Monitor, by months end portions of 9 counties were experiencing severe drought conditions. These counties were: Potter, Tioga, Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Clearfield, Centre, Huntingdon, and Blair. Several public water suppliers were on mandatory and voluntary restrictions, and some agricultural impacts likely occurred.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 29, 6:36 AM EST, 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 736 AM EDT Tue Sep 29 2020 .SYNOPSIS... A change in the weather pattern will bring much needed rain to central Pennsylvania through tonight. Scattered rain showers are likely around Lake Erie through midweek. Temperatures will trend noticeably cooler today and remain below average into the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Radar trends show a band of light rain showers along and behind slow moving cold/ana front which has just pushed through State College around 10Z. Latest hires model consensus continues to favor organization of frontal rain bands over the interior CWA by the early afternoon. Rain should expand in coverage and become moderate to perhaps heavy at times through the evening in response to strong upper diffluence and sfc FGEN aligning with axis of high PWATs. Blended QPF from WPC/NBM still shows a general 0.75-1.50 inches across most of the CWA ending 12Z Wed. The rainfall is much needed and will be beneficial in providing some relief in moderate D1 to severe D2 drought areas. No significant flooding concerns given very dry preceding conditions and overall lack of instability for heavy rates. 1-3hr FFG values are very high around 3+ inches. Rain tapers to scattered showers from west to east late tonight into Wednesday morning, as the cold front reaches the Mid Atlantic coast. Temperatures will trend noticeably cooler behind the front and will even drop a few degrees this afternoon (non-diurnal trend with morning highs in the Alleghenies). Highs will be 10 to 20 degrees cooler (24hr change) from yesterday ranging from the mid-upper 50s over the Alleghenies to the low 70s in the far southeast. Lows will mid 40s-50s. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... Amplifying upper trough over the Great Lakes/Midwest will maintain broad cyclonic flow through midweek. Cooler air aloft will provide instability for scattered showers near and downwind of Lake Erie. Models show a stronger wave rotating through the upper trough helping to produce a swath of light rain across the southeast part of the CWA Thursday night into Friday. Cooling trend continues with high temps will holding in the upper 50-60s Wed-Thu with lows in the 40-50F range by Friday morning. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... The long term forecast will be dominated by an upper-level trough of low pressure centered over the Great Lakes region. The 00z/28 ECMWF shows the front stalling as it approaches the coast Wednesday night, with an area of low pressure developing along it and tracking northeastward along the Mid-Atlantic coast. This scenario would bring another round of rain to eastern PA Wednesday night. The 12z/28 GFS/GEFS, on the other hand, is more progressive with the front and takes it farther out to sea Wednesday morning. Either way, we should see a cooler northwesterly flow develop by week's end. This would mean a return to below-normal temperatures, and the GEFS shows 850hPa temps around -1SD from Friday through Sunday. As often happens during the cool season, northwesterly flow across the Great Lakes would result in lingering clouds and possibly a few showers across N/W PA. Showers may return on Friday as another low pressure system trends northeast of Pennsylvania. Models differ on the intensity of this next round of showers. && .AVIATION /12Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... 12Z TAFS sent. Main change was to back off lower conditions some early on, given current trends. Also backed off lower CIGS across the southeast tonight. Earlier discussion below. 06Z TAFS sent. Not a lot of change, tried to slow showers down some across the central and eastern areas, as the cold front will slow as it moves eastward today. Lower ceilings and showers mainly in the wake of a slow moving cold front across the west. Outlook... Wed...MVFR with -SHRA poss E. Otherwise no sig wx. Wed PM...IFR poss BFD and LNS. Mainly VFR elsewhere. Thurs-Sat...NW flow. MVFR cigs and SCT SHRA NW, MVFR stratocu central terminals. VFR SE. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SYNOPSIS...Steinbugl NEAR TERM...Steinbugl SHORT TERM...Steinbugl LONG TERM...Evanego/Gutierrez AVIATION...Martin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service State College PA 402 AM EDT Tue Sep 29 2020 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-300815- Warren-McKean-Potter-Elk-Cameron-Northern Clinton-Clearfield- Northern Centre-Southern Centre-Cambria-Blair-Huntingdon-Mifflin- Juniata-Somerset-Bedford-Fulton-Franklin-Tioga-Northern Lycoming- Sullivan-Southern Clinton-Southern Lycoming-Union-Snyder-Montour- Northumberland-Columbia-Perry-Dauphin-Schuylkill-Lebanon-Cumberland- Adams-York-Lancaster- 402 AM EDT Tue Sep 29 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. MRS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Portions of northern Huntingdon County were experiencing severe drought conditions as noted on the United States Drought Monitor.
Portions of Blair County were experiencing severe drought conditions as noted on the United States Drought Monitor.
Portions of Cameron County were experiencing severe drought conditions as noted on the United States Drought Monitor. Driftwood Borough was on voluntary water restrictions at month's end.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, September 2020
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 922179, 922180, 922191.