Ohio drought: Did Hurricane Helene remnants alleviate dry conditions around the state?

Ohio’s ongoing historic drought lessened over the past week after remnants of Hurricane Helene swept over the state, according to a new map from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

A record-high of 1.44 inches of rain fell on Columbus Friday and showers continued into the weekend.

Franklin County is no longer considered in an exceptional drought, the worst possible dry condition, according to the drought monitor’s newest map. However, a significant chunk of the county remains in the severe to extreme drought.

Extreme drought conditions also disappeared entirely from southwest Ohio in the new map, and a large band of exceptional drought has receded to southeast Ohio.

Only 2% of the state was drought-free on Sept. 24. Now, 14% of the state is clear of dry conditions, mostly in south-central and northeast Ohio, according to U.S. Drought Monitor Data.

Significant swathes of the state have had their drought downgraded from severe to moderate, and abnormally dry conditions—the least severe drought level—have become more common.

Ohio’s drought severity and coverage index, a score from 0 to 500 that measures the state’s general drought levels, fell from 298 to 212 over the past week.

While the previous weekend’s rain has helped, the state will need several rainfall events to exit the drought fully, an NWS meteorologist previously told The Dispatch.

There isn’t much rain in the National Weather Service’s upcoming forecast. Here’s what to expect.

Columbus weather for the week of Oct. 3, 2024

• Thursday: It’ll be sunny with a high near 79.
• Thursday night: It’ll be mostly clear with a low around 52.
• Friday: There will be patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, it’ll be mostly sunny with a high near 79.
• Friday Night: It’ll be mostly clear with a low around 53.
• Saturday: It’ll be sunny with a high near 76.
• Saturday Night: It’ll be clear with a low around 53.
• Sunday: There’s a chance of showers after 2 p.m. It’ll be sunny with a high near 84. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Sunday Night: There’s a chance of showers before 8 p.m. It’ll be mostly clear with a low around 50. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Monday: It’ll be sunny with a high near 69.
• Monday Night: It’ll be clear with a low around 45.
• Tuesday: It’ll be sunny with a high near 68.
• Tuesday Night: It’ll be clear with a low around 44.
• Wednesday: It’ll be sunny with a high near 69.

NHart@dispatch.com

@NathanRHart