Drought
Below normalArizona drought
Share of state area in drought (D1-D4) or worse, week over week
Data through Oct 13, 2026 · source last checked Oct 17, 2026 · page revised Oct 16, 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
- Oct 13, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly, released Thursdays
Drought eased week over week (now 46%).
Arizona drought coverage fell to 46% of state area, down 8 percentage points from the prior week. The state is 10 points below its 5-year median of 57%, a marked improvement from 94% coverage a year ago.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | 46% | 54% | -8 pts |
| Month over month | 46% | 77% | -31 pts |
| Year over year | 46% | 94% | -48 pts |
| vs 5-yr median | 46% | 57% | -10 pts |
| Category | Share of area in this category | At this level or worse |
|---|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry | 43.9% | 90.3% |
| D1 moderate drought | 32.2% | 46.4% |
| D2 severe drought | 14.1% | 14.1% |
| D3 extreme drought | 0% | 0% |
| D4 exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
| County | Area in drought (D1-D4) | Since last week | Most severe category | Weeks in drought |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County | 78.6% | -2.6 pts | D2 severe drought | 167 |
| Yuma County | 46.9% | no change | D1 moderate drought | 31 |
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 Oct 6, 2026
Arizona drought coverage dropped to 54% of state area in drought, down 9 pts week over week. The improvement continued a longer trend: coverage fell 23 pts over the month and 46 pts year over year. The current level sits 3 pts below the 5-year median.
Week of Sep 29, 2026
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.
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.
Arizona drought conditions
Arizona has 46.4% of its area in drought (D1 or worse) on the US Drought Monitor map dated Oct 13, 2026, and 90.3% at least abnormally dry (D0 or worse). The most severe category present is D2, severe drought, covering 14.1% of the state.
Over the last 52 weekly maps the share in drought ranged from 34.4% (Jan 27, 2026) to 94.1% (Oct 21, 2025), and every one of them showed at least some drought.
This site tracks 4 reservoirs in Arizona. The three largest by capacity: Lake Mead's water level stood at 1,037.53 feet above sea level on Oct 15, 2026, with 6.81 million acre-feet in storage (26% of capacity); Lake Powell's water level stood at 3,519.79 feet above sea level on Oct 15, 2026, with 5.25 million acre-feet in storage (22% of capacity); and Lake Mohave's water level stood at 638.87 feet above sea level on Oct 15, 2026, with 1.64 million acre-feet in storage (91% of capacity). The other one is on western reservoir levels. The drought map scores conditions on the land week by week, while a large reservoir carries water over from earlier years, so the two can tell different stories for a season or longer.
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.