Southeastern Pennsylvania Dry But Has Not Crossed Drought Threshold

By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - As large sections of the country suffer in drought, southeastern Pennsylvania has been dry, but has not crossed the drought threshold.

A nearly snowless winter melted into some later months with less rainfall, and now in the swelter of July, drought concerns arise. Deborah Fries of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection says experts monitor four measurements, rainfall, ground water, surface water and soil moisture, and some of them are creeping toward drought.

"We have four of our southeast counties in watch conditions for soil moisture and ground water. That's in Bucks, Montgomery,
Philadelphia and Delaware. Chester County is currently in a warning condition for their surface water and a watch for soil moisture."

Fries says we'd need to see more triggers in more places and categories to have a regional drought watch declared.

For a link to a statewide drought monitoring map, CLICK HERE.