Drought Information Statement for Northern IN, Southern MI, Northwest OH Valid September 23, 2025 Issued By: NWS Northern Indiana on September 25, 2025 Contact Information: nws.northernindiana@noaa.gov 574-834-1104 This product will be updated on or after October 8, 2025. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/iwx/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates. Drought conditions have worsened, with many counties now within a Severe Drought (level 2 of 4) There is a pocket of Extreme Drought (level 3 of 4) along the Henry and Putnam County line A small area of “no drought” continues in far northwest Indiana Little to no rain is expected through October 2 U.S. Drought Monitor Drought intensity and Extent D3 (Extreme Drought): In northwest Ohio along the Henry and Putnam County line D2 (Severe Drought): Many Indiana counties along I-69, as well as all of northwest Ohio D1 (Moderate Drought): A narrow portion of far southern Michigan Many counties in the eastern half of northern Indiana D0 (Abnormally Dry): A small portion of counties in northwest Indiana Recent Change in Drought Intensity Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change: Drought conditions have worsened by 1 to 3 categories in parts of Ohio and Indiana Conditions have worsened by 1 category in northwest Indiana, with a small area of no drought where rain has been adequate Precipitation Isolated areas of beneficial rain occurred on the 21st and 23rd, with totals as great as 2-4 inches Northwest Indiana continues to see adequate rainfall For a majority of the area, 30-day rainfall has been only 25-50% of normal or less Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts 28-day streamflows, according to USGS data, are in their 10th percentile or lower at some locations Pond levels are low and creeks have stopped flowing according to CoCoRaHS Condition Monitoring reports Agricultural Impacts There are no known impacts at this time Fire Hazard Impacts Burn bans are in effect for a few Indiana counties, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Other Impacts There are no known impacts at this time Mitigation Actions None reported Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map valid April 9, 2025 Streamflows are much below normal (red), reading less than 10% of normal, in far northern Indiana and southern Michigan Streamflows are below normal, (orange), reading only 10% to 24% of normal in northwest Ohio Fire Hazard Impacts Map on the right is as of 2 PM EDT 9/25. See the latest map at here. Burn bans are in effect for the counties highlighted in red. Ohio and Michigan residents can contact local officials regarding any possible local restrictions. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast 7-day precipitation will be sparse, measuring less than 0.10” A strong ridge of high pressure will move in over the weekend and linger into the start of October This ridge and blocking pattern looks to break down next weekend (October 4 and 5). Worsening drought conditions are possible until then. Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Above normal temperatures are favored for October based on model guidance and historical trends Released on 9/18 there are no clear signals to nudge the precipitation forecast above or below normal; thus, equal chances is the outlook Note that October is typically one of our driest months of the year Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought conditions are anticipated to persist, according to the Climate Prediction Center Precipitation departures: As of this writing, Fort Wayne is nearly 10.5” below normal year to date, and is short only 1.50” for September South Bend is short about 4” year to date, and is about 1.50” below normal for September Note that September, October, and November are typically drier months for our area. Normal monthly precipitation is about 3” per month, compared to 4-4.5” in June, July, and August