A look at the longest dry streaks in Pittsburgh area's history
As of Wednesday, the Pittsburgh area is in its 11th dry day in a row, with a stretch that began on Sept. 7.
While the current stretch is not the longest on record, it is growing and slowly contributing to the 2025 annual rainfall deficit.
So, what are the longest dry streaks, meaning no measurable precipitation, for some cities in our area? To answer that, KDKA First Alert Meteorologist Trey Fulbright looked at records for some long-term climate sites in the area that date back to the late 1800s.
These cities are Pittsburgh, Franklin, and Morgantown, West Virginia.
Pittsburgh dry stretch
Pittsburgh's longest consecutive dry stretch is 26 days from Oct. 12 to Nov. 7, 1874. The most recent longest dry stretch to rank within the top 10 occurred in 2023, with 21 days from late May through early June.
All but one of the top 10 longest dry stretches to occur in Pittsburgh happened in September, October or November.
Franklin dry stretch
Franklin's longest dry stretch is 31 days from Aug. 30 to Sept. 30, 1903. The most recent longest dry stretch to rank within the top 10 occurred in 1995 from Aug. 14 to Sept. 8.
All of the top 10 longest dry stretches to affect Franklin occurred in August, September and October.
Morgantown dry stretch
Presently, Morgantown is in the middle of a 10-day dry stretch that began Sept. 7. Morgantown's longest dry stretch is 36 days, which occurred from Aug. 22 to Sept. 27, 1908.
The most recent dry stretch to rank within the top 10 occurred from Oct. 15 to Nov. 9, 1991. The longest dry stretches to impact Morgantown occurred mostly in the months of September, October and November.
Pittsburgh area's worst droughts
For the worst droughts in our region, KDKA First Alert Meteorologist Trey Fulbright looked at the Standardized Precipitation Index, which measures water supply over a nine-month period leading up to a date, and the Palmer Modified Drought Index, which measures the intensity and duration of long-term drought.
Both of these indices extend back further than the US Drought Monitor. The most intense drought occurred in 1930-31, when over 80% of Pennsylvania was in the highest level of drought called "exceptional".
The most prolonged severe drought to affect Pennsylvania occurred during the 1960s, with the worst years from 1963 to 1967, when 60% of Pennsylvania was in "exceptional' drought. Other notable drought periods include the late 1890s and late 1990s to early 2000s.