Pennsylvania, 2026Drought in Pennsylvania, April 21 to 30, 2026
April 21 to 30, 2026 · NWS CTP · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Anomalously dry conditions persisted across much of central Pennsylvania through April 2026, with severe drought persisting across portions of southern Pennsylvania with slight expansion into southeastern Pennsylvania towards the latter portions of the month due to lack of widespread rainfall, with month-to-date precipitation values generally one inch below average for the month of April across…
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
Anomalously dry conditions persisted across much of central Pennsylvania through April 2026, with severe drought persisting across portions of southern Pennsylvania with slight expansion into southeastern Pennsylvania towards the latter portions of the month due to lack of widespread rainfall, with month-to-date precipitation values generally one inch below average for the month of April across the southeastern half of Pennsylvania.
What forecasters said that day
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 Apr 21, 3:37 AM EST, 4 hours 23 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- 1) Trending warmer through the week with a few chances for precipitation.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 3:37 AM EST, 4 hours 23 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service State College PA
437 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026
.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
* Forecast overwhelmingly consistent.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Trending warmer through the week with a few chances for
precipitation.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1: Trending warmer through the week with a few
chances for precipitation.
Surface high pressure is continuing to slip SE. A weak low
attached to a weak front will approach from the northwest this
afternoon and evening, causing the pressure gradient to
tighten. The resulting SSWrly wind will bring in slightly milder
air. The dewpoint will try to increase very slightly today,
battling the dry air in place. Some lift will push the meager
moisture up over the dry/cooler air in place/overhead. An
isolated SHRA may show up on radar late this aftn in the N, but
it won't be heavy enough to make anything wet. The low will make
a bee line for BFD overnight, and should provide enough lift to
kick off more showers and many of those will make things wet.
The SHRA will work from N to S, but will, sadly for the
drought-stricken southern tier, be dissipating as they near the
Mason-Dixon Line. QPF is only one to two tenths at most. Many
places will get less than a tenth. The low will pass overhead on
Wed, but much of the moisture will be displaced to the east at
that point. Therefore, the PoPs are relatively low for Wed
considering a front will be moving through during the daytime.
The PoPs will be be highest in the SW where enough instability
could be present to make a rumble of thunder. We did consider
dropping the PoPs even more than the small decrease the new
guidance gave us. Drought does beget drought. Will hold close to
guidance for the time being.
Thursday looks rain-free as high pressure noses down from
Canada. The next system splits away from a very mature cyclone
over the upper plains to bring us a generous slug of moisture
and a couple bouts of showers starting Friday and lasting much
of Sat. It will be more humid and create much more rain than
Wednesday, perhaps much of it from an MCS dropping down from the
Upper Great Lakes. PoPs from NBM guidance do linger quite late
into Sunday vs GFS and EC, which are much more similar with the
system in their respective 00Z deterministic packages. Most
places get into the 70s Thurs and Fri, but drop back near
normals (maxes in the 60s) for the weekend.
The big upper low circulating over ND & srn Canada will finally
slide eastward a bit as we start the new week. That will help
drive moisture and either a N-S front or a more developed low
through in the first part of the new week. Worth higher PoPs for
Tues either way.
&&
.AVIATION /07Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
Widespread VFR flying continues through the afternoon as high
pressure migrates eastward off the Mid Atlantic coast. Low level
wind flow from 170-220 degrees will increase with gusts up to
20kt across the western terminals KBFD/KJST. LLWS is possible
late tonight into early Wednesday morning.
Scattered rain showers/isolated t-storm will spread from
northwest to southeast along a frontal boundary tonight into
early Wednesday morning. Sub-VFR cigs are likely near and
particularly behind the front with >70% odds for MVFR
restrictions across the most of airspace between 06Z-18Z Wed.
Outlook...
Thu...VFR. Partly cloudy and rainfree.
Fri...Light rain possible. VFR to MVFR.
Sat..Periods of rain with MVFR to IFR conditions.
&&
.CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Freeze Warning until 11 AM EDT this morning for PAZ004-005-
010>012-017-018.
Freeze Warning until 9 AM EDT this morning for PAZ019-024>028-
033>036-045-046-049>053-056>059-063>066.
&&
WHAT HAS CHANGED...Dangelo
KEY MESSAGES...Dangelo
DISCUSSION...Dangelo
AVIATION...Steinbugl
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 21, 7:57 AM EST, 3 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service State College PA
857 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-221300-
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-
857 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026
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.
Drought, Lancaster
- When
- April 21, 8:00 AM EST to April 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Lancaster forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 40.042, -76.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drier than average conditions over the course of multiple months lead to the addition of severe (D2) drought across conditions persisted across much of eastern Lancaster County during the second half of April 2026. Drier than average conditions were observed throughout the first half of the month with generally light rainfall across the region with slightly more beneficial rainfall coming in the final week of the month. The Drought Warning was downgraded to a Drought Watch by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on April 27, 2026 after the aforementioned beneficial rainfall.
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Wildfire in Nebraska, April 21 to 23, 2026$449,000 · 2 events
- Dust Storm and High Wind in Nevada, April 21 to 22, 2026$17,000 · 66 kt wind · 19 events
- Drought in Virginia, April 21 to 30, 202627 events
- Drought in Alabama, April 21 to 30, 202614 events
- Drought in North Carolina, April 21 to 30, 20269 events
- Drought in Kansas, April 21 to 30, 20266 events
- Hail in Wisconsin, April 21, 20261 in hail · 6 events
- Drought in West Virginia, April 21 to 30, 20265 events
- Drought in Texas, April 21 to 30, 20265 events
- Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, April 21 to 23, 202663 kt wind · 5 events
- Drought in Kansas, April 21 to 30, 20264 events
- High Wind in Utah, April 21 to 22, 202661 kt wind · 4 events
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: 1320527.