Western Pennsylvania and surrounding regions see little improvement in drought conditions

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – This past week’s drought monitor continues to show much of Western PA and Northern West Virginia in moderate to severe drought conditions. 

In Pennsylvania, 98.71% of the state is in at least abnormally dry conditions. Roughly 44% of the state is in moderate drought or worse, which is the greatest area coverage since late June 2023. 

There have only been four other times since 2000 when greater than 98% of the state was abnormally dry or worse: May 2001, July 2002, September 2002, May 2006, and June 2023.

In West Virginia, conditions are much worse statistically speaking with nearly 100% of the state in moderate or worse drought. This year also marked the first time West Virginia has seen exceptional drought conditions—the highest categorization of drought–since the drought monitor emerged in 2000. 

During the summer, when this drought emerged, it was categorized as “short-term”, meaning that impacts were primarily limited to grasslands and agriculture. Now, we are categorized with both “short-term” and “long-term” drought which means impacts are extending beyond dried-out plants and soils—we are seeing increasing impacts to hydrology along with ecology. 

Recently, water levels in Yough Lake in Somerset County have dropped so low that remains of the town of Somerfield and a bridge that used to run through it have been exposed.

Yough Lake is the only water source that is running well below normal in our region due to the ongoing drought. The entire Youghiogheny River basin from Sutersville, PA, to Friendsville, MD is running much below normal in terms of streamflow with some stream gauge sensors reporting flow in the lowest 10th percentile. 

This means that there is only a small percentage of available records lower than what is being observed now. Other creeks and rivers that have reported severely low streamflow in the last two weeks include Loyalhanna Creek from the Loyalhanna Dam to Kingston, PA; the Beaver River from Wampum to Beaver Falls, PA; the Shenango River from Sharpsburg to Transfer, PA; and French Creek from Meadville to Utica, PA. Even the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers have reported below-normal streamflow on average over the last few weeks. 

This is a regional-wide drought as much of the East Coast is experiencing its driest fall to date. Philadelphia recorded no measurable rain during the entire month of October making it the driest ever recorded. New York City also recorded its driest October on record which has led to the explosion of severe drought and some wildfires in that area.

The rain that fell on Sunday, November 10, provided some soil moisture but did not help hydrological issues much. Most of Western PA and Northern WV received between 0.5″ to 1″ of rain according to Doppler Radar estimates. 

This is a far cry from what is needed to end the drought. Gridded rainfall analysis maps show large swaths south of Pittsburgh receiving only HALF of their normal rainfall since the middle of May and in need of 5-8+” of rain to make up the deficit. 

Officially in Pittsburgh, our deficit has increased more so during the fall after some localized rainfall events kept us above average during the summer. Pittsburgh Airport is in need of 3.66″ of rain to make up the fall 2024 deficit.

Looking ahead, there are signs the long-range weather pattern will become more active during the third week of November. This may finally bring a more consistent buy of precipitation to our drought-stricken region.