Drought Information Statement for Northern IN, Southern MI, Northwest OH Valid September 30, 2025 Issued By: NWS Northern Indiana on October 2nd, 2025 Contact Information: nws.northernindiana@noaa.gov 574-834-1104 This product will be updated on or after October 9, 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 as Extreme Drought (level 3 of 4) has expanded into Fort Wayne, IN and into NW Ohio along the US 24 corridor The areas of Moderate to Severe Drought (levels 1 and 2 of 4) remain largely unchanged. There was some improvement this week in parts of Noble, Dekalb, and Steuben Counties in northeast Indiana where localized rainfall amounts of up to 3-4” fell last week. Very little rain is expected in the next week (only 0.25”-0.50” total through October 9th). 1 U.S. Drought Monitor D3 (Extreme Drought): In northwest Ohio along US 24 and parts of Allen and Adams counties in Indiana D2 (Severe Drought): Many Indiana and Ohio counties along and south of US 24 D1 (Moderate Drought): Most of southwest Lower Michigan D0 (Abnormally Dry): A small portion of counties in northwest Indiana and parts of far northeast Indiana Recent Change in Drought Intensity Link to the latest 4-week change map for northern Indiana, southern Michigan, and northwest Ohio One Week Drought Monitor Class Change: Drought conditions have worsened in Allen and Adams counties in Indiana and into NW Ohio along the US 24 corridor There was some improvement this week in parts of Noble, Dekalb, and Steuben Counties in northeast Indiana where localized rainfall amounts of up to 3-4” fell last week. Precipitation Very localized rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches occurred on Sept 23rd in northeast and north central Indiana No significant rainfall has occurred in the past week, thus a drying trend continues For a majority of the area, 30-day rainfall has been only 25-50% of normal or less Temperature Temperatures were about 2 to 4 degrees below normal for the 30-day period ending September 10th Cool, damp mornings (from dew) have provided temporary drought relief for some vegetation Above-normal temperatures (highs in the 90s) are expected in the coming week. This will worsen drought conditions. Summary of Impacts 28-day streamflows, according to USGS data, are in the 10th to 25th percentile. Pond levels are low and some 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. Several field fires have occurred in the past week, especially in Putnam and Van Wert counties in Ohio, per local emergency management and fire departments. Other Impacts Grass is very dry and in some instances, especially in the Extreme Drought area, going dormant. Fall foliage may not reach peak color this year. Many trees are losing leaves prematurely; recent observations state leaves change from green to a dull yellow or brown and then drop. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map valid April 9, 2025 Streamflows are below normal (orange), reading only 10% to 24% of normal in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture continues to deteriorate, especially in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio. Image Captions: Left: CPC Calculated Soil Moisture Ranking Percentile valid September 18, 2024 Above: Crop Moisture Index by Division. Weekly value for period ending September 14, 2024 Fire Hazard Impacts Some counties are choosing to enact local burn bans as a result of ongoing drought. The Indiana Burn Ban Map as of 11 AM EDT October 2nd shows burn bans in place for Jay, Miami, and Fulton counties. Local area bans are in effect in La Porte County. 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 Although 0.25-0.50” is forecast, 7-day precipitation will likely not be enough to offset ongoing drought. A strong ridge of high pressure remains in place through the upcoming weekend. Warm and dry conditions prevail. This ridge looks to break down sometime around October 7th or 8th. A much more active pattern may be ahead in the next 10 to 14 days with several instances of rain possible. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought conditions are anticipated to develop and/or persist through the fall, according to the Climate Prediction Center Precipitation departures: Fort Wayne has a rainfall deficit of over 11” for the year. They only picked up 0.98” of rain for the entire month of September. South Bend is short about 5” year to date, and was about 2.25” below normal for the month of 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