Continued dry conditions over the past week have expanded drought coverage across Kentucky, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report.
Only small portions of Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties remain free of drought conditions, accounting for just 0.03 percent of the state’s land area. That’s a sharp drop from 4.37 percent in the previous report.
Abnormally dry conditions, classified as D0 on the scale that goes up to D4 for exceptional drought, now cover 4.82 percent of Kentucky. These areas are mainly along the Ohio River between Jefferson and Mason counties, down from 13.81 percent last week.
Moderate drought, or D1, saw a slight increase, rising from 55.34 percent to 55.81 percent. However, the most significant changes occurred in the higher drought categories.
Severe drought conditions, labeled D2, now affect 26.76 percent of the state, up from 23.62 percent the previous week.
Extreme drought, or D3, recorded the largest increase, jumping from 2.86 percent to 12.58 percent. This includes large portions of Western Kentucky.
No areas in Kentucky are currently experiencing D4, or exceptional drought conditions.
Brian Fuchs of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said, “Kentucky experienced further degradation, with virtually the entire state now in drought. Moderate and severe drought expanded across western and central areas. The period from November 2025 through March 2026 ranks as the fifth-driest five-month period on record for Kentucky’s western climatic division.”
There could be some relief ahead. The Climate Prediction Center forecasts near or slightly below normal temperatures through May 2, along with slightly above-average precipitation.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced jointly by the National Drought Mitigation Center, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Observations for the report are recorded every Tuesday.
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