With Lack of Snow and Rain, Pennsylvania Evaluates Drought Potential
By Brad Segall
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- State environmental officials in Pennsylvania are keeping a close eye on the weather because the lack of significant precipitation over the last three months could create a drought situation down the road.
There was very little measurable snow over the winter, and rainfall has been lacking so far this spring in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Now, there's a drought coordinator in Harrisburg who is monitoring the situation closely.
Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Deborah Fries says the numbers don't look good at this point, but we're still not at the point where a drought watch would be called.
"It is of concern that between January 14th and April 12th we've remained in the 51 to 75 percent below normal range for precipitation," she told KYW Newsradio this morning.
But she says that's not the only factor. They also look at both groundwater and surface water, which have been declining.
While they can't predict what will happen down the road, Fries says a few days of heavy rain could dramatically alter the numbers.
