October 8-14, 2025

Temperatures

Average temperatures were above normal to the west and below normal to the east (Figure 1). In Iowa and Missouri, temperatures were 5-8°F above normal. In Illinois and Minnesota, temperatures were 2-4°F above normal. The rest of the region observed near-normal temperatures.

Minimum temperatures followed a similar pattern. They were above normal by 7-9°F across western Missouri (Figure 2). There were also some areas where minimum temperatures were slightly below normal, like Indiana, Ohio, and northern Minnesota.

Maximum temperatures were above normal for most of the region (Figure 3). Near Kansas City, Missouri, maximum temperatures were around 10°F above normal for the week. East of the Mississippi River, temperatures were generally 3-6°F above normal.

Precipitation/Drought

Precipitation was lackluster for yet another week. Most of the region observed less than 50 percent of normal precipitation (Figure 4). Large swaths of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin observed less than 25 percent of normal precipitation. The only areas with above-normal precipitation were northern Kentucky, southern Ohio, and northwestern Minnesota.

With little precipitation and dry antecedent conditions, drought didn’t change much. There were slight decreases in coverage of D0 (abnormally dry) or D1 (moderate drought) conditions (Figure 5). However, this was offset by slight increases in D2 (severe drought) and D3 (extreme drought) conditions. D3 was introduced to Missouri for the first time in a year. The largest expansions of drought were over Illinois and Ohio.