Drought
Near normalArizona drought
Share of state area in drought (D1-D4) or worse, week over week
Data through Sep 29, 2026 · source last checked Oct 1, 2026 · page revised Oct 1, 2026
Cite
- % in drought
About this data
- Source
- US Drought Monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, NOAA)
- Series
- Share of area in moderate drought (D1) or worse
- Geography
- Arizona
- Unit
- %
- Calculation
- Conditions as of the prior Tuesday
- Last observation
- Sep 29, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly, released Thursdays
Drought eased week over week (now 63%).
Drought coverage in Arizona fell to 63%, down 5 percentage points on the week. The improvement continues a year-long trend: the state sat at 100% coverage a year ago. At 63%, the state remains 7 percentage points above its 5-year median, per the US Drought Monitor.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | 63% | 68% | -5 pts |
| Month over month | 63% | 77% | -14 pts |
| Year over year | 63% | 100% | -37 pts |
| vs 5-yr median | 63% | 57% | +7 pts |
| Category | Share of area in this category | At this level or worse |
|---|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry | 26.9% | 90.3% |
| D1 moderate drought | 39.2% | 63.3% |
| D2 severe drought | 22.3% | 24.1% |
| D3 extreme drought | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| D4 exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
| County | Area in drought (D1-D4) | Since last week | Most severe category | Weeks in drought |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuma County | 100% | no change | D2 severe drought | 29 |
| Maricopa County | 83% | -10.8 pts | D3 extreme drought | 165 |
Each county is read from the same weekly US Drought Monitor map, inside the county line. Weeks in drought counts the weekly maps in a row, up to the latest, that show any of the county in D1 or worse.
Previous weeks
Week of Sep 22, 2026
Arizona drought eased to 68% of state area in drought, down 9 percentage points week over week. Year over year the share dropped 32 points. The current 68% sits 4 points above the 5-year median.
Week of Sep 8, 2026
Drought coverage held at 77% through Sept 8. Month over month it improved 12 points from 89%, and year over year it fell 23 points from complete statewide drought. Coverage sits 10 points above the 5-year median.
Week of Sep 1, 2026
Drought held at 77% week over week, but Arizona sits 10 percentage points above its 5-year median of 67%. The state has improved 12 points since a month ago and 23 points from a year ago.
Week of Aug 25, 2026
Drought coverage fell to 77% of Arizona, down 12 percentage points week over week. Year over year, the state has shed 23 percentage points. Coverage remains 4 percentage points above the 5-year median.
Arizona drought conditions
Arizona has 63.3% of its area in drought (D1 or worse) on the US Drought Monitor map dated Sep 29, 2026, and 90.3% at least abnormally dry (D0 or worse). The most severe category present is D3, extreme drought, covering 1.8% of the state.
Over the last 52 weekly maps the share in drought ranged from 34.4% (Jan 27, 2026) to 100% (Oct 7, 2025), and every one of them showed at least some drought.
The Monitor sorts land into five categories, from D0, abnormally dry and not yet drought, to D4, exceptional drought, and this page counts D1 through D4 as drought. The guide to what D0 to D4 mean explains each class, who draws the weekly map and why it lags a fast-moving storm.