ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA — While today, Tuesday, September 22, is expected to be a rainy and cool day across Pennsylvania, it won’t be a “lot” of rain, as it will fall at a relatively light intensity, according to a Total Rainfall Tuesday forecast from AguaceroWX, valid 2:00 a.m. EDT Wednesday, September 23. Only a few counties will be favored for rainfall amounts over a half inch. Many locations from the Laurel Highlands through the central and southern part of the state could pick up around 0.25 to 0.75 inches, with locally higher amounts approaching or exceeding 1 inch near the Maryland border.
Altoona, Ebensburg and the Laurel Highlands See Some of the Heaviest Totals
If you’re in Altoona or nearby Ebensburg, you’re sitting right in the heart of today’s heaviest rain band, with both communities forecast for 0.74 inches. This stretch of the Laurel Highlands and surrounding Allegheny high country stands out as one of the wetter corridors anywhere on today’s map, so keep the umbrella handy if you’re heading out through the day.
Pittsburgh Sees a Solid Soaking at Just Over Half an Inch
If you’re in Pittsburgh, today’s forecast calls for 0.53 inches, a genuinely wet day even if it doesn’t reach the higher totals expected farther southeast. Nearby Greensburg comes in at 0.30 inches, while Beaver Falls sits at 0.29 inches and Latrobe at 0.22 inches, showing a bit of variation across the immediate metro depending on exactly where you are relative to the heaviest bands.
Johnstown and Bedford Round Out the Wettest Corridor in the State
Continuing along the same corridor, Johnstown is forecast for 0.46 inches, with Bedford matching Altoona and Ebensburg at 0.74 inches. If you’re anywhere across this stretch of south-central Pennsylvania, today ranks among the wettest spots statewide, part of the same band forecasters specifically flagged as favored for the higher end of today’s rainfall range.
State College and Lewistown See a Solid Half Inch or More
Just north of the heaviest corridor, State College is forecast for 0.31 inches, with Bellefonte matching that same total. Lewistown, farther east, comes in higher at 0.46 inches. If you’re anywhere across Centre County and into the Juniata Valley, expect a genuinely damp day, even if you fall just short of the top totals farther south.
Harrisburg, Lebanon and South Central PA See Meaningful Rainfall Too
Down in Harrisburg, today’s forecast calls for 0.48 inches, with Lebanon close behind at 0.38 inches and Chambersburg at 0.54 inches. If you’re anywhere across this stretch of South Central Pennsylvania, today brings a solid, steady rain rather than just a passing shower, part of the broader band stretching from the mountains down toward the Maryland line.
York, Gettysburg and Hanover Approach the Maryland Border’s Higher Totals
Closer to the Maryland border, Gettysburg and Hanover are both forecast for 0.46 inches, while York comes in at 0.38 inches. This is the corridor forecasters specifically pointed to for locally higher amounts approaching or exceeding 1 inch, so if you’re anywhere in this part of South Central PA, don’t be surprised if your particular location ends up on the higher end of today’s range.
Waynesboro and the Immediate Maryland Border See the Highest Totals in the State
Right along the border itself, Waynesboro is forecast for 0.54 inches, with totals climbing even higher just across into Maryland, where Hagerstown-area readings approach 1.22 inches and Cumberland sits at 0.97 inches. If you’re anywhere in this immediate border zone, today’s rain could genuinely feel heavier and more persistent than what’s falling just a county or two farther north.
Lancaster, Reading and Allentown See Lighter but Still Notable Rain
Heading east, Lancaster is forecast for 0.31 inches, with Reading at 0.27 inches and Allentown at 0.19 inches. If you’re anywhere across this stretch of eastern Pennsylvania, expect today’s rain to feel noticeably lighter than what’s falling across the central and southern parts of the state, though still enough to keep the roads wet through the day.
Philadelphia Suburbs Including West Chester and Norristown See Light Totals
Closer to Philadelphia, West Chester is forecast for just 0.14 inches, with Norristown even lighter at 0.09 inches. If you’re anywhere in the Philadelphia suburbs, today should be one of the drier spots in the entire southern half of the state, standing in contrast to the meaningfully wetter conditions expected farther west toward Altoona and Pittsburgh.
Rainfall Amounts Generally Decrease Farther North Across the State
Rainfall amounts generally decrease farther north, with much of northern Pennsylvania seeing less than 0.25 inches and some areas receiving very little rain at all. If you’re anywhere across the state’s northern tier, this is your day off from the wetter weather affecting communities farther south.
Erie, Bradford and Scranton See Only Minimal Rainfall Today
If you’re in Erie, today’s forecast calls for just 0.02 inches, matching Bradford at the same minimal total. Scranton, in the northeast, is also forecast for just 0.02 inches, while Williamsport sits slightly higher at 0.06 inches. If you’re anywhere across this northern stretch of the state, don’t expect today’s rain to amount to much more than a passing sprinkle, if that.
Wilkes-Barre and the Northeast Corner Also Stay Mostly Dry
Rounding out the driest part of the state, Wilkes-Barre is forecast for just 0.09 inches, with nearby communities across the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania showing similarly light totals throughout the day. If you’re in this part of the state, today should feel more like a cloudy, cool day than a genuinely rainy one.
What Residents Across Pennsylvania Should Expect Today
If you’re anywhere from Altoona and Pittsburgh through Harrisburg and down toward the Maryland border, expect a steady, light-to-moderate rain today, with your particular location’s total depending heavily on exactly where you fall within these bands. If you’re farther north, from Erie through Williamsport and Scranton, today should stay largely uneventful on the rainfall front, even as the rest of the state deals with a genuinely rainy and cool Tuesday.
