Drought
Above normalColorado 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
- Colorado
- Unit
- %
- Calculation
- Conditions as of the prior Tuesday
- Last observation
- Sep 29, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly, released Thursdays
Drought eased week over week (now 82%).
Colorado drought reached 82% of the state, down 3 percentage points week over week per the US Drought Monitor. The state remains 37 percentage points above its 5-year median and has worsened 37 percentage points year over year.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | 82% | 86% | -3 pts |
| Month over month | 82% | 89% | -6 pts |
| Year over year | 82% | 45% | +37 pts |
| vs 5-yr median | 82% | 45% | +37 pts |
| Category | Share of area in this category | At this level or worse |
|---|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry | 8.8% | 91.1% |
| D1 moderate drought | 24.1% | 82.3% |
| D2 severe drought | 23.2% | 58.2% |
| D3 extreme drought | 25% | 35% |
| D4 exceptional drought | 10% | 10% |
Previous weeks
Week of Sep 22, 2026
Drought covered 86% of Colorado as of September 22, down 2 percentage points from the prior week. The state sits 45 percentage points above its 5-year median of 41% and 40 points above year-ago levels.
Week of Sep 8, 2026
Drought coverage in Colorado eased to 88% of the state, down 1 percentage point week over week. Coverage sits 51 points above the 5-year median and has worsened 38 points year over year.
Week of Sep 1, 2026
Drought coverage in Colorado fell to 89%, down 2 percentage points week over week. Year over year, coverage has worsened by 38 percentage points. The state sits 52 percentage points above its 5-year median of 36%.
Week of Aug 25, 2026
Colorado drought covered 90% of the state as of Aug 25. The state sits 38 percentage points worse than a year ago and 54 percentage points above its 5-year median, per the US Drought Monitor.
Colorado drought conditions
Colorado has 82.3% of its area in drought (D1 or worse) on the US Drought Monitor map dated Sep 29, 2026, and 91.1% at least abnormally dry (D0 or worse). The most severe category present is D4, exceptional drought, covering 10% of the state.
Over the last 52 weekly maps the share in drought ranged from 29.2% (Oct 21, 2025) to 100% (Apr 28, 2026), 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.