Philadelphia broke record for consecutive days without rain – NBC10 Philadelphia

As we wait for some much-needed cold November rain, Philadelphia broke the record for consecutive dry days on the way to what will likely be a rain-free October.

Almost a month without rain (and counting) in Philadelphia

Sunday, October 27, 2024, marked Philadelphia's 29th consecutive day without measurable precipitation (sprinklers don't count), said NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Bill Henley. This series of 29 rain-free days equaled the record set back in 1874.

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

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

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

“8 of our 9 climate stations are on track to experience their driest calendar month on record,” the weather service said in an X post last week. “Philadelphia, Trenton, Wilmington and Georgetown received no measurable precipitation this month.”

Interestingly, the October months are among the ten driest months in Philadelphia, dating back to the 1880s.

“This drought period is also preparing us for what will likely be the driest October in Philly history,” Henley said. “The current record dates back to 1924, with just 0.09 inches of rain that month.”

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

That's right. If this drought, which has caused leaves to brown prematurely and lawns to become hard and brown, continues, we will be in unprecedented territory.

Dry spells throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware

It's not just Philadelphia that feels this.

The region is so dry that parts of Pine Run Reservoir in Doylestown, Buck County, dried up completely last week.

Brian Mayfield

The dry conditions led Bucks County commissioners to ban open fires because they feared the fire would spread. The decision came into force on Monday and is valid for 30 days.

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

“The Bensalem Police Department has been granted authority to enforce this order. If a resident is charged with this violation after being convicted, a fine of $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense, and $300 for the third offense may be imposed.”

There is an increased risk of fire spreading throughout our region.

Delaware, South Jersey, the Pennsylvania suburbs and the Lehigh Valley are also likely in line for their driest October on record.

We haven't set records everywhere yet, the place where it hasn't rained the longest 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 quickly 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 dry conditions forecast and track when the rain finally returns.