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Thirty-three of those counties are under a Drought Watch while two others are under a Drought Warning, the state's Department of Environmental Protection said in a news release.
The following counties fall under the Drought Watch: Adams, Allegheny, Beaver, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Chester, Clearfield, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Indiana, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland and York.
Berks and Schuylkill counties are under a Drought Warning due to consistent dry conditions, the news release states. The Pennsylvania Drought Task Force continues to monitor conditions in other areas of the state.
Drought declarations are based on precipitation, stream flows, groundwater levels, and soil moisture, according to the news release. A declaration is made when conditions are outside of the normal ranges of these factors for three to 12 months.
A Drought Watch encourages residents to voluntarily reduce their water use by five to 10 percent, the news release states. Drought Warnings encourage residents to reduce water use by 10 to 15 percent.
The dry conditions in these counties have also heightened wildfire risk across the state.
“Much of the Commonwealth is at a high risk for fire danger as a result of dry conditions, and it is critical that Pennsylvanians use extreme caution when handling fire or avoid any burning as these conditions persist,” Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in the news release.
Those lighting fires at home or at campsites should keep combustible items at least 10 feet away, the news release states. A rake or shovel and water should be readily available to fully extinguish embers.
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