Drought Center

This week, a powerful storm system crossed from the Great Plains into the Great Lakes. This brought widespread rain and thunderstorms to parts of the Midwest, and a historic blizzard to portions of the upper Midwest. #USDroughtMonitor #drought #drought2026

For wildfire updates: inciweb.wildfire.gov

Dry, windy conditions have worsened destructive wildfires in western #Nebraska this week. Four wildfires have burned about 1,300 square miles, and the #MorrillFire is the worst in the state’s history. As of March 19, the Morrill Fire is 67% contained. #Drought #Drought2026 #US

@usdaFSA @NOAANCEI @FarmersGov @NOAAClimate @NASAEarth ICYMI: Drought expanded across much of the Lower 48 in February. Learn more in our monthly drought summaries. drought.unl.edu/Publications/D… #DroughtMonitor #Drought #Drought2026

@usdaFSA @NOAANCEI @FarmersGov @NOAAClimate @NASAEarth Are you seeing any drought impacts in your area? Share reports to CMOR: go.unl.edu/cmor_drought #DroughtMonitor #Drought #Drought2026

U.S. Drought Monitor March 19, 2026 For the 50 states and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows 45.81% in moderate drought or worse, compared to 45.18% last week. #DroughtMonitor #Drought #Drought2026

Nebraska producers impacted by wildfire may qualify for @USDA disaster assistance. Keep herd records, receipts and photos of losses, and contact your local FSA office promptly. Programs may include LIP, ELAP, LFP and emergency loans: go.unl.edu/a2xo

This week’s CMOR photo is from Fall River County, #SouthDakota. “I have never seen the dust blow like this here before. My wind speed topped today so far at 42 MPH.” Submit your photos: go.unl.edu/cmor_drought #drought #drought2026 #US #CMOR #photos #citizenscience

Wildfire activity in Florida intensified much earlier than usual due to prolonged dry conditions. Read more in the February drought impacts summary: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a9a493… #drought #drought2026 #USA #February2026

Drought conditions continued or worsened across much of the U.S. in February, with localized areas of improvement. Read more in the February drought climate summary: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/425551… #drought #drought2026 #USA #February2026

Following a drier-than-normal winter, a pattern change at the beginning of March resulted in widespread heavy precipitation. This improved drought and dryness in parts of the Ohio Valley and Middle to Lower Mississippi Valley. #USDroughtMonitor #drought #drought2026

Warm weather over the past couple weeks is causing some snow to melt earlier than usual. A potentially historic March heatwave is also expected to affect the region next week. (2/2)

Heading into spring, low snowpack and early snowmelt are concerns in the West. As of March 12, snow water equivalent is less than 40% of normal in some areas. (1/2) #Drought #Drought2026 #US #West

@usdaFSA @NOAANCEI @FarmersGov @NOAAClimate @NASAEarth Find more monitoring, planning and education resources on our website: drought.unl.edu. #droughtmonitor #drought #drought2026

@usdaFSA @NOAANCEI @FarmersGov @NOAAClimate @NASAEarth Are you seeing any drought impacts in your area? Share reports to CMOR: go.unl.edu/cmor_drought #droughtmonitor #drought #drought2026

US Drought Monitor 3-12-26 For the 50 states and Puerto Rico, the US Drought Monitor shows 45.18% in moderate drought or worse, compared to 45.94% last week. #droughtmonitor #drought #drought2026