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53

primary counties with USDA Drought Disaster Designations, according to the USDA Farm Service Agency

1.7 Million

West Virginia residents in areas of drought, according to the Drought Monitor

Increase of
1.6%
since last week
24th

wettest September on record (since 1895)

4.44 in.
total precipitation
Increase of
1.19 in.
from normal
49th

driest January—September on record (since 1895)

34.01 in.
total precipitation
Decrease of
1.24 in.
from normal
Current West Virginia Drought Maps

Drought & Dryness Categories
% of WV
8.4
30.9
20.5
34.5
5.7
91.6
Drought Change Since Last Week
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions

Experimental
Experimental

Drought in West Virginia

West Virginia is a geographically small state, yet expands approximately 225 miles north–south and 250 miles east–west due to the uniqueness of having two "panhandles." The Central Appalachian Mountains run through the eastern portions of the state, creating a disparity in precipitation—over 60 inches of precipitation falls annually on the western side while just a little over 30 inches falls annually on the eastern side. The variation of geography and topography causes precipitation to fluctuate significantly across the state, including periods of drought.

Since 1900, West Virginia has experienced several noteworthy droughts, including 1904, 1930–31, 1941, 1954, 1966, and 1988. During the drought of 1930–31, nearly 100% of the state experienced what currently would be referred to as D4, or “exceptional drought,” for 8 months. More recently, widespread exceptional drought occurred during the summer of 1988, accompanied by a heatwave. During the 2000s, increased precipitation amounts have reduced the severity of drought periods in the state. In fact, 5 of the top 10 wettest years on record have occurred since 2000. However, intermittent drought conditions can and still occur between periods of extreme precipitation.

NIDIS supports eight regional Drought Early Warning Systems (DEWS) throughout the United States. In addition, NIDIS supports states outside these regions, like West Virginia, by delivering drought early warning information through Drought.gov; investing in drought research to address key scientific and societal needs; and supporting the development of new tools and products that serve the entire nation.

West Virginia Current Conditions

A number of physical indicators are important for monitoring drought, such as precipitation & temperature, water supply (e.g., streamflow, reservoirs), and soil moisture. Learn more about monitoring drought.

West Virginia Precipitation Conditions

Inches of Precipitation
Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)
100%
Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)
100%

West Virginia Temperature Conditions

Maximum Temperature (°F)
60
Departure from Normal Max Temperature (°F)
0
Departure from Normal Max Temperature (°F)
0

West Virginia Streamflow Conditions

Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions

West Virginia Soil Moisture Conditions

0–100 cm Soil Moisture Percentile
70
100
Crop Moisture Index

Outlooks & Forecasts for West Virginia

Predicting drought in West Virginia depends on the ability to forecast precipitation and temperature within the context of complex climate interactions. View more outlooks & forecasts.

Future Precipitation & Temperature Conditions

Predicted Inches of Precipitation
1.75
Probability of Below-Normal Precipitation
100%
Probability of Above-Normal Precipitation
100%
Probability of Below-Normal Temperatures
100%
Probability of Above-Normal Temperatures
100%

Drought Outlooks for West Virginia

Drought Is Predicted To...
Drought Is Predicted To...

Historical Drought Conditions in West Virginia

Drought is a normal climate pattern that has occurred in varying degrees of length, severity, and size throughout history. Below, you can look back at past drought conditions for West Virginia according to 3 historical drought indices. The U.S. Drought Monitor is a weekly map that shows the location and intensity of drought across the country since 2000. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is a monthly depiction of drought based on precipitation (with data going back to 1895). And the paleoclimate data uses tree-ring reconstructions to estimate drought conditions before we had widespread instrumental records, going back to the year 0 for some parts of the U.S. View more historical conditions.

U.S. Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor (2000–present) depicts the location and intensity of drought across the country. Every Thursday, authors from NOAA, USDA, and the National Drought Mitigation Center produce a new map based on their assessments of the best available data and input from local observers. The map uses five categories: Abnormally Dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought (D1–D4). Learn more.

Drought Resources for West Virginia

Stay Informed: Local Drought Updates

Drought Alert Emails
Get email updates when U.S. Drought Monitor conditions change for your location or a new drought outlook is released.

Dry Times Bi-Weekly Drought Newsletter
Issued every other Thursday, Dry Times is an email newsletter with the latest drought news, events, and data & maps.

NOAA Eastern Region Climate Services Webinars
The Northeast Regional Climate Center hosts a monthly webinar with NOAA affiliates to address timely weather and climate concerns.

Get Involved: Submit Local Drought Impacts

Drought in your area? 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.