U.S. Drought Extent

Share of the contiguous United States in severe drought or worse (categories D2 through D4).

23.0%

of the contiguous U.S. in severe drought or worse (D2–D4)

Reported by the U.S. Drought Monitor

−8.5 percentage points over four weeks

Through Nov 3, 2026 · published Nov 5, 2026

Current map

U.S. Drought Monitor map of the contiguous United States for Nov 3, 2026, showing drought intensity by area from D0 to D4. — U.S. Drought Monitor map for Nov 3, 2026. The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.

Where it is concentrated

The states with the largest share of their own area in severe drought or worse (D2–D4).
State	Share of state in D2–D4
Arkansas	91.3%
Louisiana	78.7%
Mississippi	74.2%
Oklahoma	66.3%
Maine	60.1%
Tennessee	58.5%
Oregon	57.6%
Wyoming	50.6%

Historical trend

Share of the contiguous U.S. in severe drought or worse (D2–D4), weekly

By drought category

Exclusive categories; shares total approximately 100%. The headline figure is the sum of D2, D3 and D4.
Category	Share of area
No drought or dryness	30.9%
D0 Abnormally dry	25.1%
D1 Moderate drought	21.0%
D2 Severe drought	14.8%
D3 Extreme drought	6.6%
D4 Exceptional drought	1.6%

What this measures

The U.S. Drought Monitor classifies drought weekly from D0 (abnormally dry) to D4 (exceptional). This indicator uses the cumulative D2–D4 share of land area, and the geographic scope is the contiguous United States: Alaska, Hawaii and the territories are excluded.

Sources and schedule

U.S. Drought Monitor — area statistics and geographic data

Weekly on Thursday, reflecting conditions through the preceding Tuesday.

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