Severe (D2) drought conditions began across southeastern Pennsylvania in early November 2024, including portions of Lancaster, Lebanon, Schuylkill, Columbia, and Northumberland counties. Dry conditions persisting throughout the end of the month allowed for severe drought conditions to continue through the end of November 2024.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
Severe (D2) drought conditions began across southeastern Pennsylvania in early November 2024, including portions of Lancaster, Lebanon, Schuylkill, Columbia, and Northumberland counties. Dry conditions persisting throughout the end of the month allowed for severe drought conditions to continue through the end of November 2024.
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 Nov 5, 6:44 AM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 644 AM EST Tue Nov 5 2024 .SYNOPSIS... * A strong upper level ridge will keep conditions mainly dry and winds slightly gusty today. * A weak cold front will push through Pennsylvania Wednesday, bringing the possibility of light scattered rain across western PA. * High pressure will likely settle south into the region late this week with rain returning Saturday night into Sunday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Clear skies and light winds overnight have allowed temperatures to drop into the lower 40s across the central ridge and valley region at daybreak. Mostly sunny skies will prevail today with increasingly moist southerly flow. Winds this afternoon will occasionally gust 15 to 20 mph with gusts as high as 25mph in extreme northwest PA. Dewpoints are expected to increase significantly today, reaching the 50s and low 60s. The result will be relative humidity values in the 50 to 65% range, which should help limit the threat for rapid wildfire spread. Highs this afternoon will range from the middle 60s in the endless mountains to middle 70s elsewhere - some 15 to 25 degrees above average for this time of year. Winds will ramp up a bit overnight, with gusts in the 20 to 25mph range generally coming out of the south or southwesterly direction. Some low clouds are possible east of the Allegheny Front, especially if winds take a more southeasterly orientation and bring moisture from the Chesapeake Bay/Atlantic. An extremely mild night is in store with lows in the upper 50s and low 60s, which is 20 to 30F above average. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Showers ahead of an approaching cold front will arrive in northwest PA by daybreak Wednesday. Even with PWATs exceeding 1.25" for much of northwest PA, ongoing drought conditions and limited forcing for ascent should squash much optimism for significant rainfall. Rain chances will be maximized along and west of I-99/north of I-80, but rainfall amounts will remain less than 0.10" for most of the area. Little to no rain is expected in southeast PA. A few rain showers may linger into Thursday across the southern tier of PA as the cold front is replaced by sprawling high pressure. Slightly cooler on Thursday, though still several degrees above average, with highs in the upper 50s, 60s, and low 70s from north to south. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... A weak northern stream shortwave will move quickly ESE from the Upper Great Lakes to the Southern New England Coast Thursday night into early Friday. No precipitation expected from this system, though increasing cloud cover is a good possibility. Also worth monitoring will be the winds on Friday afternoon. Current guidance indicates the tightest pressure gradient and associated strong wind gusts will stay north of PA. RH values may make a run at 30% on Friday, and with very dry fuels, gusty winds could result in an elevated risk of wildfire spread. Winds appear likely to remain below Red Flag Warning criteria at this juncture, but it is worth monitoring. Not a good idea to burn anything with ongoing dry stretch/drought conditions. Latest GEFS and EPS indicate the next chance of rain will come late in the weekend (Sun) associated with a weakening upper level shortwave lifting into the Grt Lks. Would not surprised to see that Day7-8 storm fizzle as it arrives, too. Drought is begetting drought. && .AVIATION /12Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... At sunrise, a light and increasingly moist southeasterly sfc flow is bringing some low clouds (IFR cigs) into southern and eastern Lancaster County, but they have yet to make it as far northwest as KLNS. Elsewhere, VFR conds prevailed beneath patchy high and mid-level cloudiness. Borderline LLWS is possible, with a southwesterly jet of 25-35 kts just above the sfc. Will continue to monitor the low clouds over southern and eastern Lanc Co this AM to see if they manage to build northwestward and impact KLNS. LLWS concerns should diminish by mid-morning, as should any lingering low cloudiness over the Lower Susq VaLley, with predominantly VFR conds expected this afternoon beneath patchy high and mid-level cloudiness. Low clouds could redevelop over the Susq Valley tonight. LLWS should redevelop areawide, with a 35-45 kt southwesterly jet just above the sfc. Outlook... Wed...AM LLWS possible. Early AM low cigs possible over eastern PA. Showers diminishing as they progress eastward across PA, with low clouds developing across NW PA. Thu...AM low cigs/fog possible. Otherwise, becoming VFR. Fri-Sat...Patchy AM valley fog possible, mainly north. Otherwise, predominantly VFR. && .FIRE WEATHER... Srly flow on the backside of a departing high pressure area will result in rising dewpoints/RH. The increase in moisture should keep Red Flag worries low this week despite slightly stronger, gustier winds thru Wed. The very dry fuels and wind could meet two of the three red flag criteria each day thru Wed. Just a few hundreths of an inch (tops) of rainfall is expected this week, and only on the Allegheny Plateau. The Ridge and Valley region (central and srn mtns) and Susq Valley will likely stay dry even as a cold front passes on Wed. Lower aftn RHs Fri-Sat will be paired with lighter wind. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SYNOPSIS...Banghoff/Bowen NEAR TERM...Banghoff SHORT TERM...Banghoff LONG TERM...Lambert/Dangelo AVIATION...Evanego FIRE WEATHER...Dangelo
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service State College PA 428 AM EST Tue Nov 5 2024 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-060930- 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- 428 AM EST Tue Nov 5 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
D2 (severe) drought conditions began across Lancaster County in early November 2024 before continuing dry conditions allowed further expansion to include most of the county by the end of November 2024.
D2 (severe) drought conditions began across Lebanon County in early November 2024 before continuing dry conditions allowed further expansion to include most of the county by the end of November 2024.
D2 (severe) drought conditions began across Schuylkill County in early November 2024 before continuing dry conditions allowed further expansion to include most of the county by the end of November 2024.
D2 (severe) drought conditions began across southern Columbia County in early November 2024 and continued through the end of November 2024.
D2 (severe) drought conditions began across southeastern Northumberland County in early November 2024 and continued through the end of November 2024.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, November 2024
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: 1219451, 1219452, 1219453, 1219454, 1219474.