Autumn rains help end drought watch in Armstrong and Butler counties

The state Department of Environmental Protection on Tuesday lifted the drought watch for 10 counties including Armstrong and Butler.

The drought was also lifted in Blair, Cambria, Clarion, Erie, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Mifflin counties.

In August, the DEP and the Commonwealth Drought Task Force, declared a drought watch for those counties, asking residents to voluntarily reduce water consumption by 5%.

The hot and dry weather this summer coupled with lower water levels in reservoirs and streams triggered the drought watch in August, state officials said.

The task force met again and on Tuesday it lifted the drought watch in 10 counties while 20 counties will remain on drought watch.

Drought watch remains for Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Columbia, Cumberland, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Juniata, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Warren, and Wyoming counties.

“Recent rainfall has brought good news for some counties. Other counties are showing improvements, but still have a little ways to go,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.

In the Pittsburgh area, the region is catching up from the parched conditions in the summer, said Pat Herald, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township.

In second half of October, it rained 13 out of the 16 days in the Pittsburgh area, he said. As the region moved into autumn, the weather patterns changed with systems bringing in rain, he said.

The recent rains, and predicted continued precipitation through the end of the year is offsetting the summer months of below-average rainfalls.

“These things tend to even out in time,” Herald said.

DEP determines a drought watch, warning, or emergency declaration on stream flow and groundwater data; precipitation and soil moisture, and reports from public water suppliers.