Here’s the latest on the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) based on official sources up to May 2026.
Direct answer
- The U.S. Drought Monitor provides weekly updates (typically released Thursday) showing current drought conditions across the continental United States, with five drought categories from abnormally dry (D0) to exceptional drought (D4). The monitoring is a collaboration among NDMC, NOAA, and USDA, and the map is used for drought characterization, agricultural decision-making, and eligibility for drought assistance programs. For the most current weekly map and narrative, visit Drought.gov and the USDM Current Map pages.[1][2][7]
Key sources and what they cover
- The U.S. Drought Monitor portal (Drought.gov) hosts real-time drought data, forecasts, and planning tools, and marks 2026 as the 20th anniversary of NIDIS, highlighting long-running drought forecasting and resilience efforts. This is the main hub for current conditions, weekly updates, and outlooks.[1]
- The USDA Climate Hubs page describes the USDM’s five-category framework (D0–D4) and notes the weekly Thursday release schedule, including the role of the USDM in eligibility for drought assistance programs (e.g., LFP, CRP-related relief).[2]
- NOAA’s CPC and NCEI pages provide additional context, including how USDM informs the drought outlooks and how map updates can influence monthly and seasonal projections. The CPC page notes that USDM serves as input for drought outlook products and discusses potential inconsistencies between outlooks that CPC helps align.[5]
How to read the map
- D0: Abnormally dry (possible onset or exit from drought)
- D1: Moderate drought
- D2: Severe drought
- D3: Extreme drought
- D4: Exceptional drought
These categories reflect moisture deficits, impacts on agriculture, water supply, and related factors, and they update as conditions change due to precipitation, temperature, and hydrologic responses.[2]
What to expect this season
- Drought conditions in the U.S. are dynamic; the USDM updates often reflect short-term weather patterns but also feed into longer-range outlooks from NOAA and USDA, which may adjust expectations based on seasonal forecasts and conditions on the ground. Regular Thursday map releases help stakeholders stay informed about evolving conditions.[3][5][2]
Where to check
- For the latest map and supporting data, go to Drought.gov’s USDM section and the Current Map page on the USDM site. These pages provide the current conditions, weekly updates, and related resources.[7][1]
Would you like me to pull the most recent USDM map and provide a brief summary of drought categories by region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) for today? I can also include notable changes from the prior week.
Sources
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.govSummary of changes in drought and impacts across the CONUS for the month of September.
www.ncei.noaa.govThe 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.govAccess various products showing current climate conditions, which inform the USDM map.
droughtmonitor.unl.eduThe U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is a map that shows the location and intensity of drought across the country.
data.news-leader.comStay 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