Central Ohio just wrapped up an unusually dry August.

Columbus saw only 0.61 inches of rain all month — well below normal — and folks are starting to notice crunchy lawns and thirsty gardens.

Fortunately, there’s some rain in the forecast this week, but it brings to mind last year, when parts of Ohio saw the state’s most intense drought in a quarter century.

Aaron Wilson is an Ag Weather and Climate Field Specialist with OSU Extension, and Ohio’s State climatologist.

Matthew Rand: What's driving this current dry spell?

Aaron Wilson: Yes, certainly we've had a major weather pattern shift. Most of the spring and into the summer, we had a really conducive pattern that led to plenty of rainfall. In fact, for Ohio going back to 1895, the four-month period of April through July, that's th

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