Paducah, KY – After one of the wettest starts to the year on record, western Kentucky flipped sharply into drought during August, logging its second driest August in 133 years of recordkeeping.
According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, total rainfall in the city dropped to just 1.38 inches—more than 1.7 inches below normal. That follows a historically wet January through July, which ranked second all-time for precipitation in west Kentucky. Temperatures were also cooler than usual, but not enough to offset the rapidly drying soils and stressed vegetation.
The pattern held across the region: Cape Girardeau, Missouri saw its 6th driest August, with only 0.57 inches of rain, and Evansville, Indiana managed just 0.72 inches. Carbondale, Illinois took the top spot with the driest August on record, receiving a mere 0.02 inches of measurable precipitation.
Dry heat spiked mid-month, with highs reaching 98°F on August 19 across multiple cities. Meanwhile, lows plunged into the upper 40s by August 27, a dramatic swing highlighting the unstable conditions.
Residents are urged to limit water use, especially for irrigation, and monitor drought advisories as the dry pattern threatens to persist into September. More updates are expected later this week.
