In the least surprising news ever, the drought has worsened across Northeast Ohio and the rest of Ohio after rainfall amounts over the last week were very low for most of the region. Lake effect showers last weekend were basically the only decent amounts in our north and easternmost communities, with ranges of 0.25 to 0.50 inches. Elsewhere, rainfall totals were a trace or less.
UPDATED DROUGHT MONITOR: The U.S. Drought Monitor is a map released every Thursday (with data from Tuesday to Tuesday).
It tracks drought across the U.S. using five classifications: Abnormally dry (D0), which shows areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: Moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3), and exceptional (D4).
The weekly update to the United States Drought Monitor was issued on Thursday morning, and there have been some notable changes across our viewing area and region over just the last week.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 96.8% of Ohio is now in abnormally dry conditions or D0, and 47.8% is now in moderate drought or D1. Two percent of the state has entered into severe drought, including Carroll County. Impacts in Ohio include rapid crop dry down, water hauling, low farm ponds, and poor pasture conditions.
DROUGHT LIKELY TO WORSEN EVEN MORE: Unfortunately, drought breeds drought. Once a region falls into drought conditions, it typically causes warmer-than-normal temperatures, which in turn promotes ridging (or high pressure aloft). High pressure then limits the potential for rain and worsens the drought. This is exactly what is expected over the next week. Rain chances remain very low with increasing temperatures in the 80s next week. Communities away from the lakeshore could reach the mid and upper 80s next week.
IMPACTS TO FALL FOLIAGE:
Drought has plenty of negative impacts, including the timing and vibrancy of fall foliage. Temperature and moisture levels, especially during late summer and early fall, play a crucial role in changing leaf color.
Ideally, we would like warm afternoons and cool nights for the best fall displays. If it gets too warm (as it looks to be next week), it can cause the colors to be more muted than normal. Additionally, drought can also lead to less vibrant colors and can often delay the color change by a few days to weeks.
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