DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1100 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2009

...DROUGHT WATCH LIFTED FOR 14 COUNTIES IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS LIFTED
THE DROUGHT WATCH FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. THE 
14 COUNTIES IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA WHERE THE DROUGHT WATCH HAS
BEEN LIFTED INCLUDE...ALLEGHENY...ARMSTRONG...BEAVER...BUTLER...
CLARION...FAYETTE...FOREST...GREENE...JEFFERSON...LAWRENCE...MERCER
...VENANGO...WASHINGTON AND WESTMORELAND.

DESPITE THE BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION THROUGH MOST OF THE FALL...
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS BEGINNING IN DECEMBER WERE TWO TO FIVE
INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. STREAM GAGES INDICATE THAT AVERAGE STREAM
FLOWS HAVE RISEN TO ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE REGION. BASED UPON THE
REPORTS FROM MONITORING THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS DROUGHT MONITORING NETWORK AND FORECAST
CONDITIONS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...THE PENNSYLVANIA
DROUGHT TASK FORCE HAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE DROUGHT WATCH BE
LIFTED.

THE DROUGHT WATCH WAS DECLARED ON NOVEMBER 7, 2008 FOLLOWING
MONTHS OF BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL
PORTIONS OF PENNSYLVANIA THAT RESULTED IN LOW STREAMFLOW
CONDITIONS AND PRECIPITATION DEFICITS OF AS MUCH AS 8 INCHES.

THIS IS THE LAST STATEMENT THAT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH FOR THIS EVENT.