Drought Information Statement for Southern Indiana and Central Kentucky Valid July 26, 2024 Issued By: WFO Louisville KY Contact Information: nws.louisville@noaa.gov This product will be updated once a month or more frequently if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/lmk/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/ for regional drought status updates. Moderate Drought (D1) has been designated for areas of Central Kentucky, including parts of the Bluegrass Region. Only minor areal changes in Abnormally Dry (D0) for some areas of Indiana. 1 U.S. Drought Monitor U.S. Drought Monitor Drought intensity and Extent D4 (Exceptional Drought): [State each county or region under D4 or remove subheading.] D3 (Extreme Drought): [State each county or region under D3 or remove subheading.] D2 (Severe Drought): [State each county or region under D2 or remove subheading.] D1 (Moderate Drought): [State each county or region under D1 or remove subheading.] D0: (Abnormally Dry): [State each county or region under D0 or remove subheading. Recent Change in Drought Intensity 1-month change map for the U.S. One-Month Drought Monitor Class Change: Drought worsened by one to two categories in parts of Kentucky. Counties within the Bluegrass Region were most affected. One to two Class Improvements were seen across most of Southern Indiana. 30-Day Precipitation Precipitation has been below normal over the past four weeks across much of eastern Kentucky and a few counties in southern Indiana. Western Kentucky has seen above normal rainfall over the past 30 days. Midwest Regional Climate Center Temperature Above normal temperatures have been observed across much of eastern Kentucky within the past 7 days and 30 days, while western Kentucky has seen slightly below normal temperatures. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Streamflows are well below normal. USGS Agricultural Impacts Below-average precipitation levels have resulted in signs of crop stress in some parts of southeast Indiana and northern and eastern portions of Kentucky, especially on fields without irrigation systems. Corn and soybean conditions have declined and hay regrowth has stalled. Pastures have begun to struggle. Indiana Crop Weather/County Extension/KDOW Fire Hazard Impacts Because this drought has just recently developed and is low intensity, fire hazards are still low at this time. WFAS Other Impacts Impacts are not severe at this time due to the restricted geographical coverage and low intensity. Mitigation Actions Field irrigation has become a significant source of water for crops. Indiana Crop Weather Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts The dry conditions have led to decreases in streamflow. Most streamflows in southern Indiana are normal to below normal. Below normal to much below normal streamflows can be found over portions of northern and eastern Kentucky. However central and western portions of Kentucky have normal to above normal streamflow. USGS 7-day average streamflow Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) maps Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture is low in the middle and upper Ohio Valley as well as the central and southern Appalachians Kentucky Mesonet Data shows low soil moisture at all levels though the 2 and 4 inch soil levels showed some improvement with rains over the last week. In east central Kentucky, corn crops and mature landscaping are showing signs of stress from Georgetown to Lexington and Frankfort to Perryville. County Extension/KDOW In Clark and Scott Counties, Indiana, lawns, pastures, and row crops are stalled in growth. A few fields show corn rolling and soybeans wilting. Gardens and trees need irrigation. County Extension Fire Hazard Impacts Observed Fire Danger Class as of November 15 is high to very high in the Ohio Valley, and very high in Daniel Boone National Forest. Several wildfires are ongoing in southern Indiana in and near Hoosier National Forest. Wildfires also continue in eastern Kentucky. 33 counties in Kentucky have instituted burn bans, including eight in central Kentucky. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Small chances of showers and storms across southern Kentucky on today, July 26th. Scattered showers and storms expected on Saturday, July 27th. Widespread showers and storms expected on Sunday and Monday, July 28th and 29th. Rainfall chances decrease but with increasing temperatures expected for Tuesday and Wednesday, July 30th and 31st. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Though there are no hazards highlighted for our area, slight excessive heat is expected across southern Indiana and Central Kentucky over the next 2 weeks. While normal precipitation is expected during this time frame, warmer than normal temperatures could lead to worsening drought conditions. Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage With normal precipitation expected over the next 2 weeks, a wet signal is observed for the latter half of August. Given the nature of summertime convection, some areas may receive sufficient moisture while others miss out There is greater confidence in the temperature outlook than the precipitation outlook, with warmer than normal readings likely. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought is expected to end across the Bluegrass Region, while no drought is expected for most of the region.