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Ohio experienced historic drought conditions in 2024, but Ohio State University (OSU) Extension was prepared to respond quickly to the changing conditions and provide critical resources to producers across the drought-stricken areas. Established connections between OSU Extension Ag Weather and Climate Field Specialist/State Climatologist and NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information Systems – Midwest Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) provided ample lead time and increased awareness of drought potential. Early drought warning information was communicated to county educators and stakeholders through our weekly Agronomic Crops Team calls and newsletter. By early June, it was clear that drought conditions were imminent in Ohio. OSU Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension assembled our Early Drought Response Team including specialists in weather, agronomy, forages, livestock, specialty crops, forests, soils, farm management, and marketing and communications. We convened weekly meetings and gathered online resources and information on our website to help producers respond to these impacts (https://kx.osu.edu/page/early-drought-response). Our website garnered over 4,100 views with 2,663 active viewers for the period June – December 2024. We made 12 social media posts with 57,756 impressions at 6.5% engagement. Extension specialists worked closely with county Soil and Water Conservation Districts across southeastern Ohio to survey 170 cattle producers in 14 counties to analyze the impact of drought on production economics. Survey results shows that 86% of respondents experienced 50% or greater reduction in hay yield. The team provided updated drought information throughout the summer and fall, published newsletters and articles, engaged commodity and community partner meetings, all describing conditions and pointing producers to appropriate resources. The team worked closely with the Ohio Department of Agriculture to exchange information and jointly inform the public of the changing conditions and resources and coordinated with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency Drought Working Group between August and October. This presentation demonstrates the following: the power of collaborations between Extension and federal climate service providers like DEWS to provide opportunities that mitigate risk to hazardous conditions, how Extension works closely with state agencies to effectively communicate the risk, and how Extension quickly rises to  meet the changing needs of its producers during extreme conditions.