USGS: Despite Rainy Week, 33 Counties Now In Drought Watch Conditions

The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center today reported 14 more counties are now in a drought watch condition using the Palmer Drought Severity Index bringing the total to 33 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.
The counties include: Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Cambria, Clarion, Columbia, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Fulton, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Juniata, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Pike, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Wayne, Wyoming.
Pennsylvania's Drought Task Force is scheduled to meet July 21 to discuss conditions and provide input on possible drought declarations.
According to the USGS, there are now 2 counties which show surface water conditions at the drought emergency level: Columbia and Montour. There are now 5 counties at the drought warning levels-- Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland and Adams and 18 counties at the drought watch level-- Berks, Carbon, Centre, Clarion, Dauphin, Forest, Fulton, Lebanon, Lancaster, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Tioga and Union.
There are three counties which show groundwater conditions at the drought emergency level: Schuylkill, Sullivan and Wyoming. There are 6 counties with groundwater levels at the drought warning level-- Fayette, Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Somerset and Susquehanna and 10 counties at the drought watch level--Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lawrence, Luzerne, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Washington and Wayne.