Ohio dodges drought as much of the U.S. dries out
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The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Maps: Courtesy of NDMC.
Drought is sweeping across most of the U.S. this summer, but for the first time in a while, Ohio is actually doing OK.
Why it matters: Prolonged dry conditions have widespread impact, from damaged crops to crispy lawns and gardens and potentially higher water bills.
The big picture: Ohio is one of just a handful of states currently without major drought, based on U.S. Drought Monitor maps released every Thursday.
Zoom in: Despite a hotter-than-normal July, Columbus' unusually rainy and cool May has kept things moist enough to prevent issues — at least for now.
- Last year, drought first struck Ohio at the very end of summer, records show. "Abnormally dry" conditions lingered in Central Ohio through fall.
- Northwest Ohio was hit hardest, remaining in "extreme drought" from September to March.
Flashback: Summer 2024 brought the worst drought our state has experienced since 1988, while 2023 brought "moderate drought" in June and October.
- 2021 was the last time conditions were relatively normal the entire year locally.
Yes, but: Current conditions can change quickly. Peak summer heat is here and June and July precipitation has been below average, National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Campbell tells Axios.
- The Climate Prediction Center's seasonal outlook didn't favor above- or below-average temperatures or precipitation for Ohio, so it's hard to say what comes next.
Fun fact: Remember all that snow we got in January? It didn't do much to help our situation.
- It contains much less liquid than you'd expect, as it's mostly air, Campbell says.
Case in point: January 2026's 13.1 inches of snow amounted to just 1.63 inches of precipitation, about half of what's normal (exactly 3 inches).
Up next this week: The other end of the Ohio weather spectrum — highs in the 90s and no rain for the foreseeable future. Stay hydrated.