Portions of Ohio has inched closer to becoming a desert this week as the ongoing drought worsened and expanded, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor .
Exceptional drought, the worst possible drought condition, is present in almost 10 percent of the state. Extreme drought, the second worst condition, takes up 20 percent of the state.
The only area not affected by dry conditions is a small slice of the state—less than two percent—in its northeastern corner. Only Lake County right on Lake Erie has reported no dry conditions.
There may be a reprieve in sight; there is potential for “wetter than normal” conditions between Sept. 24 through Sept. 28, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
A “larger scale” system could move in next week, bringing “much needed rainfall”, NWS Wilmington said in a post on X .
Rain and storms have even snuck into NWS Wilmington’s forecast for Columbus over the next week. Here’s what to expect.