US Drought Monitor This Week
The U.S. Drought Monitor map for 13 October 2026 shows 54% of the lower 48 states in drought (D1 or worse), down from 59% four weeks earlier; 9.8% is in extreme or exceptional drought. Most severe (D2+ share): Arkansas (91%), Oklahoma (80%), Utah (71%).
D0 Abnormally dry D1 Moderate drought D2 Severe drought D3 Extreme drought D4 Exceptional drought
By state
| State | In drought (D1+) | Severe+ (D2+) | Extreme+ (D3+) | 4 weeks ago (D1+) | Share of area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 33% | 8.9% | 0.8% | 36% | |
| Alaska | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.7% | |
| Arizona | 46% | 14% | 0.0% | 77% | |
| Arkansas | 95% | 91% | 65% | 89% | |
| California | 23% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 22% | |
| Colorado | 71% | 54% | 26% | 88% | |
| Connecticut | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Delaware | 11% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 49% | |
| District of Columbia | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Florida | 25% | 4.7% | 0.0% | 55% | |
| Georgia | 21% | 5.6% | 0.0% | 27% | |
| Hawaii | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Idaho | 66% | 49% | 25% | 73% | |
| Illinois | 21% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.5% | |
| Indiana | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Iowa | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.8% | |
| Kansas | 31% | 10% | 0.0% | 52% | |
| Kentucky | 14% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Louisiana | 84% | 66% | 8.2% | 80% | |
| Maine | 100% | 48% | 4.6% | 100% | |
| Maryland | 17% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 27% | |
| Massachusetts | 3.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 13% | |
| Michigan | 27% | 19% | 4.2% | 15% | |
| Minnesota | 63% | 27% | 2.5% | 71% | |
| Mississippi | 79% | 37% | 9.6% | 68% | |
| Missouri | 49% | 30% | 16% | 32% | |
| Montana | 21% | 11% | 4.9% | 47% | |
| Nebraska | 44% | 23% | 6.4% | 60% | |
| Nevada | 96% | 53% | 7.1% | 91% | |
| New Hampshire | 53% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 61% | |
| New Jersey | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8.3% | |
| New Mexico | 80% | 43% | 8.3% | 97% | |
| New York | 1.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | |
| North Carolina | 58% | 24% | 4.3% | 63% | |
| North Dakota | 52% | 31% | 6.4% | 66% | |
| Ohio | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| Oklahoma | 95% | 80% | 44% | 100% | |
| Oregon | 88% | 58% | 20% | 92% | |
| Pennsylvania | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.9% | |
| Puerto Rico | 48% | 25% | 7.2% | 68% | |
| Rhode Island | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| South Carolina | 53% | 22% | 0.0% | 67% | |
| South Dakota | 61% | 9.0% | 0.3% | 70% | |
| Tennessee | 61% | 37% | 7.5% | 17% | |
| Texas | 78% | 48% | 15% | 81% | |
| Utah | 100% | 71% | 23% | 100% | |
| Vermont | 42% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 24% | |
| Virginia | 23% | 11% | 2.3% | 35% | |
| Washington | 66% | 25% | 4.4% | 70% | |
| West Virginia | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.1% | |
| Wisconsin | 52% | 44% | 22% | 56% | |
| Wyoming | 87% | 60% | 21% | 100% |
In a drought
- Follow your water utility's restrictions — watering days and limits are set locally, not by the Drought Monitor.
- Dry ground and vegetation raise wildfire risk: obey burn bans and fireworks rules.
- Farmers and ranchers: USDA disaster programs use these maps for eligibility; ask your local FSA office.
- Fires near you: US wildfires today.
What this page shows, and what it misses
The share of each state's area in each drought category, from the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map (released Thursday, valid from Tuesday), with the map four weeks earlier for comparison. Each figure counts that category or worse. The map is an expert judgement over large areas; local conditions can differ, and it is not a forecast.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.