Extra Than Half of the U.S. is Formally in a Drought And It’s Getting Worse

The newest U.S. Drought Monitor report, launched April twenty third, 2026, paints a fairly sobering image of water circumstances throughout the nation. Greater than half of the US is now experiencing average drought or worse, and the variety of Individuals dwelling inside drought boundaries climbed considerably in only one week.

In accordance with the report, 52.46% of the mixed space of all 50 states and Puerto Rico is now categorized as being in average drought or worse. That determine is up from 51% the prior week. The human toll is equally intense, with roughly 155.7 million individuals now dwelling in drought-affected areas, a rise of almost 7 million from the 148.8 million reported simply seven days earlier.

The place It Rained and The place It Did Not

The week noticed stark contrasts in precipitation. A notable band of above-normal rainfall stretched from South Texas and japanese Oklahoma northward by way of Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, and into southern Wisconsin. A lot of that hall obtained greater than 150% of regular weekly precipitation, and a few localized areas recorded over 400% of what’s typical for this time of 12 months.

The northern Northeast additionally noticed some significant moisture. Areas from western New York stretching into Maine obtained 200% or extra of regular precipitation, providing a minimum of non permanent aid to components of that area.

The remainder of the nation was far much less lucky, leaving circumstances notably dry throughout the Ohio Valley and into the Southeast the place little to no precipitation fell throughout a lot of the area. The West was equally parched with above-normal rain restricted to coastal sections of California and parts of the Pacific Northwest. The huge inside of the West obtained primarily nothing.

Temperature Swings Add Stress Throughout Areas

Temperatures diverse broadly throughout the nation in the course of the reporting interval as effectively. The West skilled near-normal to barely below-normal temperatures with some areas recording readings as a lot as 5 levels beneath common. That cooler sample supplied a modest buffer in opposition to drought intensification in these areas.

Throughout the Central Plains, Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic, nonetheless, temperatures ran 5 to 10 levels above regular, accelerating soil moisture loss and evaporation. The Southeast noticed near-normal to barely above-normal temperatures total, although the Florida Panhandle skilled cooler-than-average circumstances.

The place Drought Bought Worse

Drought and dryness intensified throughout components of the Southeast and the West in the course of the week. The Northeast, Midwest, Excessive Plains, and South all noticed blended footage, with some areas bettering whereas others degraded. Alaska skipped the nationwide pattern, registering some enchancment in its drought circumstances.

What This Means Going Ahead

With greater than half the nation now in a minimum of average drought and the affected inhabitants rising week over week, water useful resource managers, farmers, and native governments in impacted areas are actually underneath growing strain. The mix of increasing drought protection, above-normal temperatures in key agricultural areas, and a largely dry West creates a difficult outlook heading into late spring.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced each Thursday by way of a partnership between the Nationwide Drought Mitigation Middle on the College of Nebraska-Lincoln, the USDA, NOAA, and NASA. Present maps and archived information can be found at droughtmonitor.unl.edu. Extra details about drought vulnerability analysis and mitigation work could be discovered at drought.unl.edu.