Drought — Schuylkill, Pennsylvania

2026-01-13 to 2026-01-31 · Schuylkill, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

D2 (severe) drought conditions began across eastern Schuylkill County on January 13, 2026 with dry conditions continuing through the end of January 2026. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a Drought Watch for Schuylkill County on January 8th. A mandatory water consumption reduction was issued by Aqua Pennsylvania for Butler Township, Gordon Borough, and Girardville Borough on January 12th. Voluntary water consumption reduction by 10% to 15% was also urged by Pennsylvania American Water due to the Drought Watch declaration.

Wider weather episode

Dry conditions across much of central Pennsylvania persisted throughout the late fall and early winter months, allowing for severe drought to form across portions of southern and eastern Pennsylvania in January 2026. Multiple counties across central Pennsylvania were put under a Drought Watch by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, with Fulton County being put under a Drought Warning. Multiple instances of voluntary water reductions were put throughout central Pennsylvania, with two boroughs and a township in Schuylkill County put under a mandatory water conservation notice.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1306168. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.