Drought
NOAA · Updated Weekly (Thursdays) · Source: NOAA
About Drought
Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low precipitation that leads to water shortages, agricultural losses, and increased wildfire risk. The US Drought Monitor classifies drought intensity from D0 (Abnormally Dry) through D4 (Exceptional Drought). The western US has experienced multi-decade megadrought conditions, while drought can affect any region and has major economic impacts on agriculture, ranching, and municipal water supplies.
Data Source
Drought data is sourced from the official US Drought Monitor GIS portal (droughtmonitor.unl.edu), a joint product of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the USDA, and NOAA. The Drought Monitor is produced weekly (released every Thursday) by a team of expert authors who synthesize precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, streamflow, and other indicators. County-level polygons are the authoritative spatial product for drought impact assessment.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Provider | NOAA / US Drought Monitor (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USDA, NOAA) |
| Update Frequency | Weekly (Thursdays) |
| Coverage | United States (all 50 states and territories) |
| API / Data Feed | droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DmData/GisData.aspx |
What the Map Shows
Current US Drought Monitor conditions by county, color-coded by drought intensity: D0 Abnormally Dry (tan), D1 Moderate Drought (yellow), D2 Severe Drought (orange), D3 Extreme Drought (red), and D4 Exceptional Drought (dark red). The map reflects the most recently released weekly Drought Monitor snapshot.
View live Drought map →Explore Other Hazards
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