More than 60% of U.S. is covered by drought as impacts worsen

Large swaths of the United States are in desperate need of soaking rainfall as drought continues to deepen.

Stretching from Oregon to Florida and northward to the nation’s capital, nearly 63% of the country is facing drought conditions of varying intensity, just 2 percentage points shy of the most widespread drought this century, which occurred in 2012.

The driest state compared with its average has been Utah, where there has been a 59% reduction in precipitation since October. Not far behind are Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, seeing reductions of 46%, 43%, and 39%, respectively.

“The West’s hydrology and climate are very much out of sync with the historical rhythm,” said assistant Utah state climatologist Jon Meyer.

In Utah, there is some trepidation on what the next few months will look like for water consumption, Meyer said. Record-low winter snowfall and record-high March temperatures resulted in extremely premature snowpack melt and dismal water runoff volumes. That is also the case in Colorado, where “the mountain snowpack is in historically bad shape,” Colorado state climatologist Russ Schumacher wrote earlier this month.

This drought is stretching far and wide.

Nine states — Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia — as well as D.C. are completely covered by drought. Drought is also affecting more than 99% of the land area in Florida and Arkansas.

Six other states are experiencing drought coverage greater than 90%: Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Maryland.

The Sunshine State has been living up to its name, but some soaking rain would be welcome in Florida. This has been the worst drought in the state so far this century, with exceptional drought — the highest severity level — affecting 23% of the state, linked to a La Niña climate pattern that formed last fall and recently ended.

Florida state climatologist David Zierden described wide-ranging impacts from drought, which included near-record-low river and streamflows in the northern part of the state, water restrictions, and elevated wildfire potential. Effects also include a hard-hit cattle industry because of a lack of pasture growth, and dry soils that were making it difficult to plant row crops such as corn, peanuts, cotton, and soybeans.

“Hurricane debris and downed trees from Hurricane Helene in 2024 are adding more flammable fuel,” Zierden said.

He also said a lack of moisture from hurricanes last season added to the dryness, because 20% to 30% of late-summer and fall rainfall is from tropical systems in Florida.

“If the rainy season is late or less robust, impacts can really intensify,” he said. The rainy season begins May 15.

In Georgia, 27% of the land area is experiencing an exceptional drought. The climate office there recently wrote that dozens of counties were placed under burn bans because of ongoing wildfires — including one that destroyed at least 120 homes — and extremely dry fuels. Dusty soil, hard, cracked ground, poor pasture conditions, and low pond levels have been reported by farmers and ranchers statewide.

Drought effects were becoming more apparent in North Carolina, the state climate office said. In Raleigh, the first stage of water restrictions has been implemented, limiting residents to once-weekly outdoor watering. However, the drinking water supply remains strong. A statewide burn ban is also in place.

Only two states — Michigan and North Dakota — are completely drought-free.

Drought conditions are expected to continue into summer across the Intermountain West and Plains, according to the latest drought outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that goes through July. The agency also highlighted a likely expansion of drought across the Northwest.

“Poor snow conditions across the Sierras will also be a concern for California, which relies on recharge from snowmelt to maintain reservoir levels and adequate streamflow during the summer dry season,” the NOAA outlook said.

An extensive marine heat wave in the Pacific could contribute more moisture that brings a robust monsoon season to parts of the West, but any such relief is still months away.

Meyer added that summer rainfall does not affect Utah’s water resources significantly, but that higher humidity can lessen evaporation, which is “preserving our pool of optimism in the Utah weather/climate community.”

Farther east, drought is also forecast to continue, but its intensity may diminish in parts of the South, including Florida — if the rainy season proves robust. Into May, more storms will be tracking across the region because of a stronger jet stream, which is linked to a forming El Niño.

Across the Mid-Atlantic, drought is also expected to continue, though coming cooler weather and some potential rain into May could slow its intensification.

In the most drought-stricken areas of the country, too much rain too quickly could cause flooding, as dry, cracked ground would struggle to absorb water.