Drought Information Statement for Southern Indiana and Central Kentucky Valid June 16, 2026 Issued By: National Weather Service WFO Louisville, KY Contact Information: nws.louisville@noaa.gov This product will be updated June 26, 2026 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/LMK/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates. Extreme Drought (D3) remains in central KY (Casey Co.) and introduced in far eastern KY Severe Drought (D2) remains in portions of southern and eastern Kentucky Moderate Drought (D1) slightly reduced over south central KY Abnormally Dry (D0) stretches across central KY U.S. Drought Monitor NOTE: The data cutoff for Drought Monitor is each Tuesday at 8 a.m. EDT. Drought Intensity and Extent D3 (Extreme Drought): A few locations across central and southeast KY D2 (Severe Drought): Portions of southern and eastern Kentucky D1 (Moderate Drought): Continues across much of the southern half of KY D0: (Abnormally Dry): Stretches across central KY Recent Change in Drought Intensity One Week Drought Monitor Class Change No change across most of Kentucky One class improvement over portions of Kentucky One class degradation in eastern KY Precipitation Over the past 30 days, most of the region received approximately 3 to 8+ inches of rain, with portions of southern Indiana and central Kentucky receiving the highest amounts. Most of Kentucky and southern Indiana experienced above normal precipitation. Temperature Over the past 7 days, temperatures across southern Indiana and central Kentucky were approximately 1 to 4 degrees above normal. 30-Day temperatures were mostly normal to around 1 to 2 degrees above normal. Summary of Impacts Sources: University of Kentucky Agriculture Department and Kentucky Division of Water Hydrologic Impacts Most streams, farm ponds and reservoirs saw significant improvements due to the plentiful rainfall recently, although southeastern parts of Kentucky saw the least amount of rainfall with some worsening conditions. Agricultural Impacts The US Crop Report shows 22% of topsoil and 27% of subsoil in Kentucky rated as short to very short. Fire Hazard Impacts There is no wildfire activity or impacts over central Kentucky or southern Indiana at this time (National Interagency Fire Center). Other Impacts From 6/9 thru 6/16, KY averaged 1.65” of precipitation, 0.37” above normal. Since Jan 1st, the state has averaged 18.34”, 6.28” below normal. (MRCC) 7 Day Average Streamflow Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Many streams are experiencing normal to above normal flow across central Kentucky and southern Indiana. A few locations in the Louisville Metro as well as Kentucky and Cumberland River Basins have below normal flow. Source: National Crop Bulletin Agricultural Impacts The US Crop Report shows 22 percent of topsoil is short to very short for Kentucky. The US Crop Report shows 8 percent of topsoil is short to very short for Indiana. The Crop Moisture Index is 0 to above 3 and in overall good condition for southern Indiana and portions of northern Kentucky. Recent wet conditions have resulted in some water supply improvements over central and western Kentucky, however, shortages still remain in eastern portions of the state. Fire Hazard Impacts As of now, no significant wildfire potential exists through August. There are currently no burn bans reported for any counties in Indiana or Kentucky as of 6/19/2026. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast After a dry end to the week, rain chances return Sunday and Monday as another system passes through the region. Chances of showers and thunderstorms will begin Sunday afternoon and continue through Monday. As of now, expect 1.5 to just over 2 inches of rain with this system. Locally higher amounts possible. Estimated forecast rainfall amounts over the next week range from 1.5 inches over southern Indiana and northern KY to 2.5 inches over southern KY. 8-14 Day Significant Hazards Outlook Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook. No major hazards are expected Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage There is a 40 to 50 percent chance of seeing above-normal precipitation throughout the month of July. There are roughly equal chances of normal temperatures across southern Indiana and central KY throughout the month of July. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage. With another week of beneficial rainfall forecasted, improvements in drought status are expected. The Seasonal Drought Outlook (July-Aug) calls for improving or ending drought conditions across much of KY.