The Lehigh Valley’s weather in 2025 was drier and slightly cooler than normal, according to climate data from the National Weather Service.
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Drought Task Force in December issued a Drought Watch for Lehigh, Northampton and six other counties. Of 67 counties statewide, 37 ended the year under a drought watch.
The National Integrated Drought Information Service as of New Year’s Day 2026 on Thursday said 43.2% of Lehigh County and 78.3% of Northampton County were in a severe drought.
Precipitation totaled 37.51 inches at the weather service’s Lehigh Valley International Airport climate station outside Allentown. That’s 9.85 inches below the normal 47.36 inches for the year — representing a deficit of nearly 21%.
The total precipitation for 2025 includes 10.45 inches in May, the second-most for the month on record behind only May 1984’s 10.62 inches. Had May 2025 seen the normal 3.65 inches of precipitation, the yearly total would be 30.71 inches — marking a deficit of 16.65 inches or 35% below normal.
Pennsylvania’s complete list of counties in Drought Watch to close out 2025 covers Adams, Beaver, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, Lehigh, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Monroe, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren and Washington.
The Lehigh County Authority and Pennsylvania American Water Co. Blue Mountain Division are among public water suppliers asking customers to voluntarily conserve water, according to the Commonwealth Drought Task Force.
“Residents should always pay attention to any information they receive from their local water supplier. Varying localized conditions may lead water suppliers or municipalities to ask residents to continue conservation measures,” the task force says at pa.gov, noting the state Department of Environmental Protection “always encourages residents to voluntarily conserve nonessential water use.”
In terms of temperature, the airport climate station recorded an average high of 63 degrees and average low of 42 for the year, according to the weather service. That’s just shy of the normal annual average high of 64 and normal annual average low of 43.
The Lehigh Valley’s hottest day of 2025 was June 24, with a recorded high of 98 degrees. The coldest was Jan. 22, with a low of 8 below zero.
The June 24 high was a record, besting the mark for the date of 96 set in 1966. The Jan. 22 low was third-coldest for the date, trailing minus 12 set in 1961 and minus 11 in 1984.
Current weather radar