Philadelphia broke record for consecutive days without rain – NBC10 Philadelphia

As we wait for some much-needed cold November rain, Philadelphia has broken the record for consecutive dry days heading into what will likely be a rainless October.

Almost a month without rain (and it continues to rise) in Philadelphia

Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, marked the 29th day in a row in Philadelphia without any measurable rainfall (sprinkles don’t count), said NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Bill Henley. That streak of 29 rainless days tied the record set way back in 1874.

No rain on Monday as the clock struck midnight set a new record, First Alert meteorologist Brittney Shipp said. And the record should continue to grow for at least a few more days.

When was the last time Philadelphia went an entire month without rain?

Never recorded, says the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

“8 of our 9 climate stations are on track to experience the driest calendar month on record,” the weather service said in an X-post last week. “Philadelphia, Trenton, Wilmington and Georgetown have not received any measurable rainfall this month.”

Interestingly, October makes up three of the top 10 driest months recorded in Philadelphia, dating back to the 1880s.

“This dry spell also prepares us for what will likely be the driest October in Philly history,” Henley said. “The current record goes back to 1924, with just 0.09 inches of rain that month.”

“So far we’ve had only trace amounts of rain, and with no measurable rain expected until at least Friday, November 1, we’re on track to hit a new low for October,” Henley said.

That’s right. If this dry spell, which causes leaves to brown prematurely and lawns to become hard and brown, continues, we will be in unprecedented territory.

Dry spells across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware

It’s not just Philadelphia that’s feeling this.

It’s so dry in the region that parts of Pine Run Reservoir in Doylestown, Buck County, dried up completely last week.

Brian Mayfield

The dry conditions caused Bucks County Commissioners to ban open fires due to fears of fire spread. The resolution came into effect on Monday and is valid for thirty days.

“This resolution prohibits the burning of combustible materials such as trash, leaves, grass, twigs, litter, paper, vegetative material or other waste outdoors in a burn barrel, fire ring or ground,” the county said.

“The Bensalem Police Department has been given the authority to enforce this resolution. If a resident is cited for this offense after conviction, they may be fined $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $300 for the third offense. .”

Our entire region is at increased risk of fire spread.

Delaware, South Jersey, suburban Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley are also all likely to have their driest October on record.

We have yet to hit records anywhere, the place with the longest record of no rain in our region is Allentown. The record was set in 1924 with 42 days without rain.

Finally some rain?

“Stay tuned for Friday when we finally expect some showers, but not soon enough to keep us out of the record books,” Henley said.

Make sure you have the NBC10 News app downloaded on your device so you can get the latest forecast on dry conditions and track when the rain finally returns.