Severe (D2) drought persisted across portions of southern Pennsylvania throughout the month of June 2026. Through the month, Franklin, Adams, Cumberland, York and Lancaster counties were in severe drought according to the USDM.
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 persisted across portions of southern Pennsylvania throughout the month of June 2026. Through the month, Franklin, Adams, Cumberland, York and Lancaster counties were in severe drought according to the USDM. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection had Fulton, Franklin and Cumberland under Drought Warning to begin the month, and added York and Lancaster counties by month's end.
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 May 31, 8:59 PM EST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 959 PM EDT Sun May 31 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... * Tweaked mins down just a hair for tonight && .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Pleasant, rain-free dry spell to start June. 2) Summer conditions return later in the week into the first weekend of June. && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1: Pleasant, rain-free dry spell to start June. Trend, low dewpoints, light wind, and cold night last night point to another chilly night. Not as cold (5F above), but still very chilly for June 1. Prev... A deep upper level low over eastern Canada will rotate more energy aloft across the region tonight into Monday. The coldest air around will be advected well south into the southeast states. For central PA, mainly looking at dry conditions through mid week. Dry air is advected southward across PA, as high pressure builds southward from central Ontario. A good setup for dry conditions. Last night was a cold night across the region, see the PNS sent. While it is much warmer now than yesterday, still looking at low dewpoints. With less wind than last night, looking at the potential for isolated cold pockets, with some frost in these spots over the next 2 nights. ------------------------------------------------------- KEY MESSAGE 2: Summer conditions return later in the week into the first weekend of June. The combination of a large high pressure ridge to our west, and a low just off the NC coast will keep mainly dry weather across central PA into Friday. More information below. Early week East Coast upper trough/closed low near the OBX shifts eastward and allows upper ridge axis to translate downstream from the Upper Midwest through the Great Lakes. This pattern transition will deliver a noticeable warming trend for late week with summer conditions returning into the first weekend of June. Max temps climb above early June climo into the 75-85F range on Thursday followed by widespread 80-90F readings fcst Friday-Sunday. An approaching cold front impinging on a very warm and increasingly more humid airmass will favor an increasing chance for scattered showers/t-storms by Saturday. && .AVIATION /01Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... VFR prevails through the 00Z TAF period, with key messages being: post-frontal northerly breeze on Monday; isolated afternoon showers; and easterly wind shift + increasing cloud cover behind backdoor cold front (primarily after 00Z Tuesday). A weak, dry cold front will move south across the Commonwealth tonight, bringing a light northerly wind shift and minimal impacts. Northerly winds of up to around 10 kts are expected Monday afternoon, with spotty gusts to 15-20 kts possible. Diurnal heating (0-3 km lapse rates to 8-9 C/km) and cool air aloft (700 mb temperatures around -5 C) will support an afternoon cumulus field (SCT/BKN at 5000-8000 ft) + a few isolated light showers. With that said, the lack of organized lifting mechanisms in place & prohibitively dry air aloft (RH <5% above 700 mb) limits shower coverage/certainty below 30%. High pressure building in from the north will bring a backdoor cold front down the Northeastern Seaboard later on Monday, reaching the Lower Susquehanna Valley (KMDT/KLNS) by 23Z Monday - 03Z Tuesday & continuing to the Central Mountains (KIPT/KUNV/KAOO/KJST) later in the night. Easterly winds and BKN/OVC clouds will accompany this front, with ceiling restrictions to MVFR unlikely (10-20% chance, mainly after 00Z Tuesday). Outlook... Mon-Fri...VFR with no significant weather. Any showers that develop Mon/Tue will be light and spotty. Any fog very limited. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && WHAT HAS CHANGED...Dangelo KEY MESSAGES...Steinbugl/Martin DISCUSSION...Dangelo/Steinbugl/Martin AVIATION...Teare
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service State College PA 300 AM EDT Sun May 31 2026 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-010700- 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- 300 AM EDT Sun May 31 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...Monday through Saturday. 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.
Severe (D2) drought persisted for Adams County through the month of June 2026, and a Drought Watch was in effect for the county from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Severe (D2) drought persisted for Cumberland County through the month of June 2026, and a Drought Warning was in effect for the county from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Severe (D2) drought persisted for Franklin County through the month of June 2026, and a Drought Warning was in effect for the county from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Severe (D2) drought persisted for Lancaster County through the month of June 2026, and a Drought Watch was upgraded to a Drought Warning for the county from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Severe (D2) drought persisted for York County through the month of June 2026, and a Drought Watch remained in effect for the county from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, June 2026
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: 1338312, 1338313, 1338314, 1338315, 1338316.