Philadelphia ends 18-day dry streak as rain nears Thursday
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The gist
Philadelphia's 18-day rainless stretch, its longest dry spell of the year, should break with rain Thursday and Friday.
The dry run is far short of the city's record 42 days in 2024.
Background
Philadelphia went through an unusually long rainless stretch this fall, with the last notable wet weather on Oct. 15 and 16, when rain and gusts to 44 mph hit the city. The cause, according to Joe DeSilva, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, was consistently high pressure over the region and much of the eastern United States, whose descending currents suppress clouds and rain. The spell became the longest dry streak of the year at 18 days, though it is well short of Philadelphia's recorded record: 42 days without rain between Sept. 29 and Nov. 9, 2024.
How it unfolded
- Oct 15, 2026 -16, 2026Two stormy days bring rain and gusts to 44 mph in Philadelphia; no raindrop falls in the city afterward.
- Oct 29, 2026The rainless streak enters day 12, with mostly sunny skies and a high near 72 after morning fog.
- Oct 31, 2026Halloween is partly cloudy with a high near 63 and light north winds; temperatures near the 5:59 p.m. sunset are in the low 60s with zero precipitation probability.
- Nov 1, 2026The dry stretch reaches 18 days, the longest of the year, with partly to mostly sunny skies and highs in the low 60s.
- Nov 2, 2026The workweek starts clear and frosty, with morning temperatures in the 30s and 40s and an afternoon high of 67 degrees in Philadelphia.
- Nov 4, 2026Philadelphia wakes under clear skies around 52 degrees and warms to about 74; rain becomes more likely Thursday night and Friday, when the chance of precipitation rises to 80%.
Key terms
- high pressure
- An area where atmospheric pressure is higher than surrounding regions, with descending air that usually brings clear, dry weather.
- National Weather Service
- A U.S. federal agency that provides weather forecasts, warnings, and other weather information to the public.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Expert
- Joe DeSilva of the National Weather Service in Mount Holly said an early-week storm threat "fizzled out" and it will in all likelihood stay dry at least through Election Day, with Tuesday highs near 70.
- Analysts
- Tom Kines, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc., said of the dry pattern: "At some point this has to break down. It can't stay like this forever."
- Caution
- Forecasters cited by Hoodline said heavier downpours are possible, particularly south and east of the Interstate 95 corridor, though exact placement and totals remain uncertain.
Still unverified
Forecasters cited by Hoodline said the exact placement and totals of heavier downpours remain uncertain.