Extreme drought spread into western Butler and northwest Hamilton County in the new US Drought Monitor released Thursday. Rainfall of 0.50 at my Cheviot 0.9 SSE location may dent this slightly, but such drought is not cured by a quick half inch shot of rain. Without a return to a pattern of repeated, soaking rains of an inch or more, the drought will continue to sustain itself or worsen. Drought conditions are much worse in the western parts of the Cincinnati metro. After more soking rains Thursday, there is limited drought in eastern areas and much of northern Kentucky.