Climate Summary
Ohioans have been waiting a long time on the arrival of tropical moisture to help ease and reverse long-term drought conditions in the state. On Friday, September 27, 2024, a little too much of good thing arrived with the name Helene. After devastating parts of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas with punishing wind and flooding rains, the system quickly moved north, stalled out, then was absorbed by another system in central Kentucky that lingered throughout the weekend. With the arrival of the remnants on Friday, widespread wind gusts of 45-70 mph were felt across southern Ohio (Fig 1). This wreaked havoc on tree limbs and corn fields alike. The system also brought heavy rainfall, with much of southwest and south-central Ohio receiving 3-10” of rain, and areas farther north seeing 1-3” (Figure 2). This was all on the heels of another expansion of drought conditions last week that currently depicts more than 12% of the state in exceptional drought and the greatest percentage of D2-D4 (Severe to Exceptional Drought) that Ohio has seen since the US Drought Monitor inception in 2000.
This week’s rainfall will help ease drought in many areas. If you are continuing to experience drought impacts or to document improvements, you can view or submit local reports at the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports page. For a more detailed look at conditions and resources, visit our Drought Response Page or for the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Weather Forecast
What is left of the tropical system is starting to move off to the east but will keep showers and foggy conditions around for Monday and Tuesday. Sunshine will try to return by midweek, with highs in the 60s and 70s and overnight lows in the 40s and 50s for Wednesday through Sunday. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.1-5” of additional rain this week (Figure 3).
The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show near average temperatures are probable with precipitation leaning toward below normal (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 69-73°F, a low-temperature range of 48-51°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.7-0.8”.
