USGS greatly expanded D1 conditions in PA but kept their Orange markers off the board for now, probably will be there next week without copious rains (which the globals keep suggesting are possible with a wandering ULL nearby.) Astute observation in their write up mentioning that those already in D1 that received good rains basically kept it from getting worse vs. improving. Hand in hand with our MA sisters and brothers on this one.
Northeast Drought Summary
A storm system developed over the Midwest during the weekend and moved across the Northeast Monday into Tuesday bringing heavy rainfall to parts of the interior Northeast, warranting targeted improvements to the drought depiction in portions of northeastern Pennsylvania and interior New England. Otherwise, the storm system did little to improve antecedent dryness, acting only to halt ongoing deterioration, with the help of below average maximum temperatures for this week. In areas that experienced below average 7-day rainfall, expansion of abnormally dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1) conditions is warranted, particularly across southern portions of the Northeast. 7-day average stream flows have fallen below the 10th percentile of the historical distribution for this period and soil moisture continues to decline.
Full Summary