Pennsylvania Water Science Center
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection relies upon a number of parameters to monitor water supply drought conditions, among which are four parameters displayed herein--precipitation, stream flows, ground water levels, and the Palmer Drought Severity Index. These parameters are used only as indicators of the four stages of drought that Pennsylvania uses for drought management-normal, watch, warning and emergency. Actual declarations of any particular drought stage in a given county are based upon a review of these parameters in combination with other considerations. No one parameter or combination of particular parameters automatically establishes a stage of drought.
The background colors of the counties in the maps presented herein represent Pennsylvania's current officially-declared status of the counties.