U.S. Drought Monitor

Cattle grazing in Faulkner County, taken April 9, 2026. (UADA photo by Kevin Lawsonl.)
Arkansas, Drought, Hay Range Pasture, Midwestern Region

Freeze and drought push ranchers into hay

Arkansas ranchers tap hay reserves as drought and freeze damage pastures, reducing forage growth and grazing capacity statewide. Read More

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 Atmospheric Administration. (Map courtesy of NDMC.)
Arkansas, Beef, Colorado, Cow Calf, Drought, Farmland, Feeder, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ranchland, Sheep and Goats, South Dakota, Stocker, Texas, Water, Weather, Wheat, Wyoming

Extreme weather added drought pressure to High Plains

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 Atmospheric Administration. (Map courtesy of NDMC.)
Arkansas, Beef, Colorado, Cow Calf, Drought, Drought Monitor, Equine, Dairy, Sheep and Goats, Farmland, Feeder, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ranchland, Seedstock, Sheep and Goats, South Dakota, Stocker, Texas, USDA, Water, Weather, Wheat, Wyoming

Drought continues to expand in the Plains



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 Atmospheric Administration. (Map courtesy of NDMC.)

Some regions of High Plains received rain

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 Atmospheric Administration. (Map courtesy of NDMC.)

West Coast gets bulk of moisture

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 Atmospheric Administration. (Map courtesy of NDMC.)

Dry pattern lingers across High Plains

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 Atmospheric Administration. (Map courtesy of NDMC.)

Much of country felt impact of winter storm

Irrigation supplies along the U.S.-Mexico border are tightening as regional watersheds that replenish critical reservoirs have not received rainfall. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Drought conditions intensify across Texas

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 Atmospheric Administration. (Map courtesy of NDMC.)

High Plains headed for cold stretch

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 Atmospheric Administration. (Map courtesy of NDMC.)

High Plains receives beneficial moisture

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 Atmospheric Administration. (Map courtesy of NDMC.)

Mother Nature being stingy with moisture