The western United States is confronting increasing drought concerns as a ridge of high pressure settles across the region, bringing below-average snowpack and raising questions about water availability for the coming summer according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. This shift follows a more active early winter wet season that saw robust precipitation in many areas. The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
California’s 154 primary reservoirs held 25.9 million acre-feet of water as 2026 began, about 123% of the historic average, signaling some resilience. However, the multi-state Colorado River Basin’s storage stood at just under 17.3 million acre-feet, or 53% of average, reflecting long-term drought conditions exacerbated by elevated temperatures.
The Plains region experienced dry weather with occasional wind-driven snow showers in the northern areas, and an elevated wildfire threat, while the Midwest and East saw cold weather with rain and snow showers, including heavy snow in the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic Seaboard.
Drought conditions remained mostly unchanged in the Northeast, with slight improvements inland but deterioration along southern New England’s coast. The Southeast faced worsening drought, with new areas of extreme drought in Alabama and Georgia, and expanded moderate to severe drought across parts of Florida.
The South saw drought intensify from eastern Texas into Arkansas, including the introduction of exceptional drought in northern Arkansas. Severe to extreme drought extended into northeastern Texas, with moderate to extreme drought affecting southern Texas and parts of Oklahoma.
The Midwest experienced minor drought deterioration in southern Missouri and Indiana, while the High Plains saw expanding dryness in Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota, with topsoil moisture rated very short to short in several states.
In the Caribbean, dry conditions persisted in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with water levels rising but still indicating abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions. Puerto Rico’s drought status remained unchanged.
Looking ahead, a significant winter storm is forecast from Jan. 23-26, bringing wintry precipitation, gusty winds, and dangerously low temperatures across the South, Plains and mid-Atlantic. The National Weather Service predicts below-normal temperatures across the eastern U.S. through late January, while the West will experience warmer-than-normal weather with mostly below-normal precipitation nationwide.
