Latest News About United States Drought Monitor

Updated 2026-05-28 19:04

Here’s the latest on the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) based on trusted federal sources.

What USDM is
- The U.S. Drought Monitor provides weekly maps of drought conditions across the United States, categorized from abnormal dryness (D0) through extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4) drought. It is produced jointly by NDMC, NOAA, and USDA and is updated weekly on Thursdays, with detailed context on current conditions and trends.[2]
Where to view current conditions and recent updates
- The primary hub for current drought conditions, maps, and forecasts is the U.S. Drought Portal (Drought.gov). It aggregates current conditions, historical context, and planning tools, and notes NOAA’s 20-year anniversary of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) in 2026.[1]
- For the most recent weekly map and current conditions, you can also consult the Current Conditions and Current Map pages on the USDM site, which include maps, data layers, and explanatory notes.[6][7]
Drought outlook and impacts
- The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) provides drought outlooks that use USDM as the initial condition. They also explain that mismatches can occur between monthly outlooks (SDO/MDO) and the weekly USDM, and CPC issues adjustments to maintain consistency in messaging.[5]
- The CPC page and NOAA/NWS partners commonly reference how drought conditions influence agriculture, water resources, and planning decisions, with links to outlooks and potential designations for USDA disaster programs where drought is a factor.[5]
Related context and resources
- Monthly drought summaries and changes are published by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and NDMC/NIDIS, often highlighting regional hot spots and impacts for the CONUS (contiguous United States) with commentary on precipitation deficits and temperature anomalies.[3]
- The USDM has historical data and tutorials on how to interpret drought categories, useful for understanding what recent changes mean for water availability, ecosystems, and agriculture at the regional level.[2]

Illustrative example

If you’re curious about a specific region (e.g., the Southwest) and want to know whether drought conditions are worsening or improving this week, check the current USDM map on Drought.gov or the Current Conditions page, then read the accompanying narrative for regional impacts and short-term forecasts.[9][1]

Would you like me to pull the most recent USDM map for a particular region (e.g., Provence-Alpes-C Côte d’Azur is your locale in France, but USDM is U.S.-focused) or provide a quick regional snapshot for a U.S. area you care about? I can also summarize the latest weekly changes and any notable shifts in drought categories.

Citations:

U.S. Drought Portal overview and 20-year milestone.[1]
U.S. Drought Monitor details and classifications.[2]
Drought monthly changes and impacts (Sept 2025 example) and where to find the latest updates.[3]
CPC/NOAA coordination and consistency notes on drought outlooks.[5]
Current conditions and maps hub and explanation of current conditions.[9]

Sources

U.S. Drought: Monthly Changes and Impacts for September 2025

Summary of changes in drought and impacts across the CONUS for the month of September.

www.ncei.noaa.gov

Current Conditions | U.S. Drought Monitor

Access various products showing current climate conditions, which inform the USDM map.

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

U.S. Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is a map that shows the location and intensity of drought across the country.

data.news-leader.com

The U.S. Drought Portal | Drought.gov

Stay informed with real-time drought data, forecasts, and planning tools at Drought.gov - your resource for understanding and preparing for droughts nationwide.

www.drought.gov

U.S. Drought Monitor - USDA Climate Hubs

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is a map released every Thursday, showing parts of the U.S. that are in drought. The map uses five classifications: abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4). It is produced jointly by the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),...

www.climatehubs.usda.gov

United States Drought Information - Climate Prediction Center - NOAA

ATTENTION: Consistent messaging is a vital part of the Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) mission to deliver climate information and products. The United States Drought Monitor (USDM) serves as initial conditions for the CPC’s drought outlooks. Due to the 7-16 day time span between releases of the Seasonal Drought Outlook (SDO) on the third Thursday of each month and Monthly Drought Outlook (MDO) on the last day of each month, large changes may occur in the USDM. Since the valid periods for the...

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

National Current Conditions

Get the latest U.S. drought conditions. View current precipitation, temperature, and drought maps, as well as streamflow and soil moisture conditions.