PA Year In Review: The Most Talked About Stories Of 2024

PENNSYLVANIA — It was a wild year in Pennsylvania in 2024, as the state once again played host to a string of key events involving and leading up to the presidential election, and once again saw a wide array of bizarre and record setting climate change-fueled weather events.

We've gathered below some of the most talked about and widely read stories that appeared on Patch sites in Pennsylvania over the past calendar year.

Trump Takes PA, Wins Presidency

Former President Donald Trump dominated the general election in November, winning Pennsylvania handily over Vice President Kamala Harris en route to taking the presidency.

Pennsylvania was among a handful of key swing states won convincingly by Trump. Although analysts had widely predicted the Keystone State as a possible lynchpin for the entire election, Harris did not pick up enough other swing states to make the race close enough for PA to matter as much as most thought it would.

Trump's margin over Harris in Pennsylvania was about 121,000, which is double what Biden won by in 2020, and a far cry from his razor thin 44,000 margin over Hillary Clinton in 2016. It was seen by many as a referendum on the Democratic establishment, and the implications for radical policy change could be felt around the globe in the new year. For Pennsylvania, the question to answer in the coming years will be to what degree 2024's results were an indication of a red-turning populace or an aberration simply reflecting a revolt against an out of touch Democratic party. Read more.

Drought Watch And Burn Bans Across PA As Record Dry Spell Hits

The Philly region saw its longest period in recorded history without any measurable rainfall in 2024.

The period without precipitation ran from Sept. 28 through early November. The National Weather Service said the previous record was set a whopping 150 years ago, when between Oct. 11, 1874 and Nov. 8, 1874 the region saw 29 days of no measurable precipitation.

It caused widespread drought conditions throughout the region described as "unprecedented" by officials, as well as an uptick in wildfires, leading to burn bans in most counties in the eastern part of the state. Most of those bans were not lifted until early December. Read more.

The Northern Lights Appear Over Pennsylvania Skies

In a stunning display not seen in the lifetimes of most local residents, Pennsylvanians saw the dazzling aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, in early May.

It was thanks to a severe, level G-4 geomagnetic storm, the first seen since 2005.

The storm developed after two massive sunspots merged, spitting at least two X-class (the largest class) and M-class (the second-largest class) solar flares that are sending a mass of supercharged plasma hurtling toward Earth in a coronal mass ejection, or CME. Read more.

Before Election Day, Elon Musk Pays PA Voters $1M A Day To Sign 'Constitution Pledge'

In the leadup to the 2024 election, Billionaire and new Trump acolyte Elon Musk offered $1 million a day in payments to voters in certain swing states who signed a "pledge to the Constitution" put together by his political action committee.

Payments specifically targeted citizens in Pennsylvania, but were also sent to voters in Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.

The Justice Department later warned Musk and threatened an investigation, and the legality of his actions continues to be hotly debated in the months following the election. Read more.

Philly Area Takes National Stage With Veepstakes, First Presidential Debate

The moment the 2020 election ended, the 2024 election began, and it was always centered on Pennsylvania. That truth came into focus in 2024, and the greater Philly area stepped on the national — and global — stage in a myriad of ways.

Rumors swirled for weeks that Gov. Josh Shapiro was the frontrunner to be Kamala Harris's vice presidential candidate, and though she eventually chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, she did so in Philadelphia during a highly publicized reveal.

Weeks later, the first and only presidential debate between Harris and Trump took place at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia. While most agreed Harris had won the evening of political theater, which was heavy on quips and personal attacks and light on concrete policy stances, it did not prove meaningful come Election Day. Read more.

Details Reveal Helicopter Crash That Killed 6ABC Crew

Tragedy struck when 6ABC helicopter pilot Monroe Smith, 67, and photographer Christopher Dougherty, 45, both of Montgomery County, were killed in a crash in Dec. 2023.

The resulting investigation throughout the early months of 2024 revealed what happened before the chopper went down in Wharton State Forest in Burlington County, New Jersey. The crew was returning from an assignment photographing Christmas light displays near Atlantic City. Read more.