May 3, 2026 Soil Moisture, Condition Monitoring and Drought Update
US Drought Monitor
Near Normal conditions at Cheviot OH 3.4W.
Widespread dry and drought conditions in the western, southern, and eastern US, including everywhere along and south of the Mason-Dixon line from extreme southern Missouri eastward, the southwest, New England, the central plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the northwest. Increasingly severe drought in Kentucky is inching into southern Ohio.
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Condition Monitoring Report |
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| Station Number: | OH-HM-24 | |
| Station Name: | Cheviot 3.4 W | |
| Report Date: | 5/3/2026 | |
| Submitted: | 5/03/2026 5:16 PM | |
| Scale Bar: | Near Normal | |
| Description: |
2.41 inches of rain in the past week and 4.46 inches of rain since April 1. 7 day rainfall is above normal but |
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| Categories: | General Awareness Agriculture Plants & Wildlife Society & Public Health Water Supply & Quality |
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| Photos | ||
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Other Drought links:
- NWS Drought Fact Sheet
- North American Drought Monitor (NADM)
- National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)
- National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC)
- National drought summary>>>
Please remember to water…correctly!
Water once per week, one inch per week, under the entire branch spread, in the absence of rain, May through November. Either rainfall or your watering should equal the one inch per week. Do not water if the soil is already moist. Put out a sprinkler and a straight sided soup can or rain gauge and measure one inch per week. Measure the rainfall which falls in your yard. Your trees don’t care what fell at the airport!
If burlap was left on new trees, it will repel water and the tree or shrub may die. Be sure burlap and twine are removed from the top of all root balls. If your landscaper disagrees, refer him or her to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) industry standard for installation of landscape plants.
To the extent possible recycle fallen leaves back into the soil around the trees and maintain mulch around the trees to a radius of at least 3-5 feet. Keep mulch off trunks. Use a coarse textured mulch. Avoid triple shredded mulch. Aged arborist wood chips ( https://getchipdrop.com/ ), mulched and composted leaves, pine bark, and pine straw are all good. Very finely ground mulches such as triple ground hardwood mulch are not beneficial and may inhibit moisture and oxygen exchange.
Drought: How Dry Seasons Affect Woody Plants>>>
Soil temperature map
Soil temperatures across the US.
Arbor Doctor LLC is certified by the National Weather Service as an official Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador.
The Weather-Ready Nation (WRN) Ambassador™ is a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), designed to strengthen partnerships with external organizations toward building community resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extreme weather, climate, and water events. WRN Ambassadors serve as change agents and leaders in their community. They inspire others to be better informed and prepared, thus helping to minimize, mitigate, or avoid the impacts of natural disasters.
To learn more about the Weather-Ready Nation program, visit the WRN web site at: https://www.weather.gov/wrn/
