Climate Summary
Climate rankings for August will be released by NOAA on Tuesday September 9, 2025, which will likely show that August 2025 was one of the driest August’s on record since 1895. Despite some precipitation falling across the Buckeye State over the last seven days (mostly less than 1 inch), much of Ohio is running well below normal for the last 30 days (Figure 1). Last week’s U.S. Drought Monitor shows an increase in D0-abnormally dry and D1-moderate drought conditions to 83% and 29%, respectively. Cooler than normal temperatures have kept the worst impacts in check; however, there are many reports of rapid crop transition, decreasing farm ponds, deteriorating pastures, and some water hauling. Please consider submitting your observations to the National Drought Mitigation Center’s Condition Monitoring Observer Reports platform. For the latest drought conditions and agricultural resources, please visit our Drought Conditions and Resources page or the State Climate Office of Ohio.
Weather Forecast
After a chilly start in the upper 30s to low 40s on Monday September 8, a slow warming trend is expected throughout the week. Highs will climb from the mid 70s early in the week to the low to mid 80s by the weekend. Overnight lows will start out in the 40s but settle around 60°F by Saturday morning. No rain is expected through Saturday, with only a slight chance of showers in the west on Sunday. A better change of some light rain moves into Ohio for Monday. The National Weather Service is currently forecasting less than 0.25 inches across the state (Figure 2).
The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for the period of September 16 – 22 and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show warmer than normal temperatures and below normal precipitation are probable (Figure 3). Climatological normals for this period include a high-temperature range of 77-81°F, a low-temperature range of 55-59°F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.60 - 0.75 inches.
