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1

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

~104,700

Oregon residents in areas of drought, according to the Drought Monitor

Decrease of
70.1%
since last week
49th

driest October on record (since 1895)

1.89 in.
total precipitation
Decrease of
0.55 in.
from normal
54th

wettest January—October on record (since 1895)

23.44 in.
total precipitation
Increase of
0.59 in.
from normal
Current Oregon Drought Maps

Drought & Dryness Categories
% of OR
23.5
47.7
0.0
0.0
0.0
47.7
Drought Change Since Last Week
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions

Experimental
Experimental

Drought in the Northwest

Drought and its impacts vary from region to region due to differences in climate. The Pacific Northwest is an ecologically diverse region where water supplies are heavily reliant on snowpack, precipitation, groundwater, and highly managed rivers, such as the Columbia River. The region is primarily wet in winter but dry in summer, and has experienced multiple droughts in the early 21st century. These droughts affect agriculture, water supply, hydropower, tourism and recreation, fisheries, wildland fire regimes, and public health.

In 2001, 2015, and beginning in 2020, virtually the entire region was in drought. In 2015, levels of drought across western Washington and Oregon were particularly severe. Over the last several years, single-year droughts in coastal regions were extreme, whereas drought persisted for multiple years in central and southern Oregon and Idaho.

In response to drought in the region, NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) launched the Pacific Northwest Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) in 2016, encompassing Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and western Montana. The Pacific Northwest DEWS is a network of regional and national partners that share information and coordinate actions to help communities in the region cope with drought.

Reach out to Jason Gerlich, the Regional Drought Coordinator for this region, for more information, or sign up for the Pacific Northwest DEWS newsletter.

Oregon 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.

Oregon Precipitation Conditions

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

Oregon Temperature Conditions

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

Oregon Streamflow Conditions

Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions

Oregon Soil Moisture Conditions

0–100 cm Soil Moisture Percentile
70
100
Soil Moisture Anomaly
0%

Outlooks & Forecasts for Oregon

Predicting drought in Oregon 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 Oregon

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

Historical Drought Conditions in Oregon

Drought is a normal climate pattern that regularly occurs with varying degrees of length, severity, and area. The figure below illustrates past drought conditions in Oregon according to three indices of historical drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor, updated weekly, indicates the location and severity of drought across the country since 2000. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is a monthly index of drought that is based on precipitation (with data extending back to 1895). Paleoclimate data are based on tree-ring reconstructions and enable estimates of drought conditions prior to widespread instrumental records. Paleoclimate records are available for thousands of years in some parts of the United States. 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 Oregon

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.

Regional Drought Status Updates
NIDIS & its partners issue regional updates covering drought conditions, outlooks/forecasts, and local impacts.

Pacific Northwest Drought Email List
Get regional drought status updates right to your inbox, as well as drought news, webinars, and other events for the Pacific Northwest.

Pacific Northwest DEWS Drought & Climate Outlook Webinars
These webinars provide the region with timely information on current and developing drought conditions, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña.

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.