Drought Information Statement for the Middle Ohio River Valley Valid November 1, 2024 Issued By: NWS Wilmington Ohio Contact Information: spotreport.iln@noaa.gov This product will be updated December 1, 2024 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ILN/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Drought conditions persisted or even worsened in some areas within the mid Ohio Valley over the past several weeks 1 U.S. Drought Monitor the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for Lower Midwest Drought intensity and Extent D4 (Exceptional Drought): Far eastern Hocking/Licking basins of Ohio D3 (Extreme Drought): Some areas of Central Ohio D2 (Severe Drought): Nearly all of Central and Northwest Ohio D1 (Moderate Drought): Covering the remainder of Central Ohio into portions of western Ohio D0: (Abnormally Dry): All but just portions of a few counties in western/south central Ohio remain in D0. All of northern KY and SE Indiana also remain D0. Recent Change in Drought Intensity the latest 4-week change map for Ohio River Valley Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: While remains of hurricane Helene brought short-lived relief, several areas have experienced worsening drought conditions through October. No Change: Also with Helene remains setting the stage for a recharged beginning of October, a very dry October kept many locations status quo in some form of drought conditions. Drought Improved: Very few areas experienced improved conditions through October. October largely was well below normal for precipitation, as little as in the 25th percentile or less. Precipitation Accumulations and Percent of Normal 7 day and 30 day temperature anomalies show were above normal across ALL of the mid Ohio Valley. Temperature October 2024 was ranked among the top 5 to 10 driest Octobers in 130 years of climate data for much of Ohio and Southeast Indiana. Much of northern Kentucky ranked among the driest to top 5 driest Octobers in 130 years. Per Gridded PRISM Climate Data: Summary of Impacts See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter Hydrologic Impacts Below normal streamflow has been persistent, and in some cases worsening, across the mid Ohio Valley Agricultural Impacts ‘Severe Yield Decline’ in Ohio Ahead of Harvest (September) Successful Farming Only 38% of Kentucky Pasture conditions rated good to excellent Kentucky Crop Weather Ohio Crop Weather Report, Indiana Crop Weather Report, Kentucky Crop Weather Report Fire Hazard Impacts There are no known impacts at this time Other Impacts There are no known impacts at this time Mitigation Actions Some farmers continue to haul water for livestock Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map Below normal streamflow is affecting portions of middle/lower Scioto, the Hocking and Licking basins of Ohio, and the Licking basin of Kentucky Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Temperatures for November are expected to remain above normal The monthly precipitation outlook for November hints that the mid Ohio Valley may return to a more normal precipitation pattern. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage The Seasonal drought outlook depicted here was from October 31, 2024. A new outlook will be issued in mid November. At the time of this issuance, there is a somewhat favorable chance of above normal precipitation through mid November. The 8-14 day outlook for the period November 11-17 is a high confidence in above normal temperatures and some potential for above normal precipitation. Links to the latest: Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook