Drought in central Ohio? Recent heat wave made for a dry start to the summer

Last week's heat wave did more than just bake central Ohio, it also ushered in a drought, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A huge swath of Ohio was experiencing abnormally dry conditions, while significant areas including Columbus were under a moderate drought as of Tuesday morning, when NOAA released its weekly drought map.

Since then, rain showers buffeted the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, but this might not be enough to end the drought, Adam Hartman, the map's creator, said.

"In the summertime, a lot of times especially here recently with the excessive heat in the Midwest, you actually need above normal rainfall to even remain status quo or see any improvements," Hartman said.

Columbus saw 0.15 inches of rainfall Tuesday and 0.13 inches Wednesday; a normal amount of rain for those days in June, according to data from the National Weather Service.

If this week's rain was enough to end the drought, it will be reflected in next week's map, Hartman added.