The most prevalent types of pasture plants that we use in Ohio are cool-season forages. It is normal for these cool-season forages to enter a dormancy period to survive through the warmest and driest part of summer to come out productive in the fall.
When the drought was at its worst, we could clearly see the negative impact it was having on grasses, weather in our lawns or our forage crops. As OSU Extension Educator Cristine Gelley discusses in this article, the commonly planted grasses in Ohio often go dormant during warm and dry times, but then are able to bounce back when moisture arrives. In this case, however, there is a higher likelihood that some of that grass has died completely due to the severity of the drought.
Read through this article to learn more about the reasons for grass death, and to help you make decisions on how to repair your forages. https://u.osu.edu/beef/2024/11/13/is-the-grass-dead-or-dormant/