National Drought Status
While drought persisted across the West in 2020, the Southeast was mostly wet. However, abnormal dryness now appears in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Mississippi. La Niña may turn that dryness into drought. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, La Niña is expected to continue through the winter and early spring. This week’s U.S. Drought Monitor change map shows mostly small degradations scattered around the U.S. The exception is a large area of dryness developing across Kentucky and Tennessee, though some of this may improve with incoming precipitation. Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) Drought continues across much of the Plains, Rockies, and Southwest. As of January 19, 2021, 37.64% of the U.S. was in drought.
U.S. Drought Monitor
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country using a five-category system, from Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions to Exceptional Drought (D4).
The USDM is a joint effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA. Learn more.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country using a five-category system, from Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions to Exceptional Drought (D4). The USDM is a joint effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA.
The USDM Change Map shows where drought has improved, remained the same, or worsened since the previous week's Drought Monitor. Learn more.
U.S. Drought Monitor Categories
Classes Drought Has Degraded or Improved Since Last Week
Evaporative Demand (EDDI)
The Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) is an experimental drought monitoring tool that can serve as an indicator of both rapidly evolving "flash" droughts and sustained droughts. It examines how anomalous the atmospheric evaporative demand (E0; also known as "the thirst of the atmosphere") is for a given location and across a time period of interest. EDDI can offer early warning of agricultural drought, hydrologic drought, and fire-weather risk. Learn more.
Drought Categories
Wetness Categories
Precipitation Conditions
The current precipitation conditions show the precipitation accumulation for the last 7 days using the gridMET and NLDAS precipitation datasets, which are delayed from the current day by 2 to 3 days to allow for data collection and quality control.
The last 30- and 60-day percentages of normal precipitation are also available, which show the difference of the last 30 or 60 days from the usual conditions for the same time period averaged since 1980. Learn more.
Inches of Precipitation
Percent of Normal Precipitation
Percent of Normal Precipitation
Temperature Conditions
The current temperature conditions show the average maximum daily temperature for the last 7 days using the gridMET and PRISM temperature datasets, which are delayed from the current day by 2 to 3 days to allow for data collection and quality control. The last 30- and 60-day departures from normal temperature are also available, which show the difference of the last 30 or 60 days from the usual conditions for the same time period averaged since 1980. Learn more.
Mean Temperature (°F)
Departure from Normal Temperature (°F)
Departure from Normal Temperature (°F)
of the U.S. is in drought this week.
acres of crops in U.S. are experiencing drought conditions this week.
people in the U.S. are affected by drought this week.
U.S. states are experiencing Moderate Drought (D1) or worse this week.
CPC Drought Outlooks
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center's Monthly Drought Outlook is issued at the end of each calendar month and is valid for the upcoming month. The Outlook predicts whether drought will emerge, stay the same, or get better over the next 30 days or so. Learn more.
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center's Seasonal Drought Outlook is issued monthly on the third Thursday of each month. The Outlook predicts whether drought will emerge, stay the same, or get better in the next three months. Learn more.
Drought Outlook
CPC Temperature Outlooks
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center (CPC) produces temperature outlooks for the U.S., including 6–10 day, 8–14 day, monthly, and seasonal outlooks. The outlooks depict whether there is a greater chance for above-normal, below-normal, or near-normal conditions during the noted time frame. Learn more.
Probability of Below-Normal Temperature
Probability of Above-Normal Temperature
CPC Precipitation Outlooks
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center (CPC) produces precipitation outlooks for the U.S., including 6–10 day, 8–14 day, monthly, and seasonal outlooks. The outlooks depict whether there is a greater chance for above-normal, below-normal, or near-normal conditions during the noted time frame. Learn more.
Probability of Below-Normal Precipitation
Probability of Above-Normal Precipitation
Quantitative Precipitation Forecast
The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) produces Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPFs) that depict the amount of liquid precipitation expected to fall in a defined period of time. QPFs issued by the WPC are defined as the expected "areal average" (on a 20 x 20 km grid) in inches. This map shows the 7-day total QPF. Learn more.
Predicted Inches of Precipitation
Explore National Drought Impacts by Sector
Tell us how drought is impacting your community by submitting a condition monitoring report. Your submissions help us better understand how drought is affecting local conditions.