Drought in Centre County, PA: 0.8 years in 10 since 2000

0.8 years in 10

Centre County, PA: 2 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. Less drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2016 (13 wk) and 2020 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024.

A regular lawn is fine here; plan for the odd dry year

Real droughts are rare here. A smart controller that skips watering after rain covers the odd dry year.

You can keep a regular lawn. Worth doing: a rain-sensing or smart controller, and deeper, less frequent watering if Sep turns dry.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (2 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (0 in 10).

Against the rest of PA

36th most drought-prone of 67 PA counties; the PA middle is 0.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Forest County (0.8 in 10) and Washington County (0.8 in 10). Driest in PA: Adams County (1.9 in 10). Least drought: Susquehanna County (0 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (13% of weeks), then Aug (11%) and Mar (6%). Least in Apr (0%). May to September averages 7%.

1 Jan
3 Feb
6 Mar
0 Apr
2 May
3 Jun
4 Jul
11 Aug
13 Sep
6 Oct
2 Nov
3 Dec

The worst year: 2016

2016: 13 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 4.4% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 0.4% at D2, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 13 weeks, Jul 26, 2016 to Oct 18, 2016.

Lately

Last drought year: 2020, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 0 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 6 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.