Drought coverage during the year statistics
Published September 22, 2026 · StatsGalore
yearly maximum share of the lower 48 states in moderate to exceptional drought (D1–D4), on October 21 and again on November 18 [1]
In 2025, drought coverage across the contiguous United States changed substantially during the year rather than following one steady direction. NOAA/NCEI described the drought footprint as a sequence of spring expansion, early summer contraction and autumn resurgence. The key high point was 46.1 percent of the lower 48 states in moderate to exceptional drought (D1–D4) on October 21 and again on November 18. The annual low point was 29.6 percent by June 3. By December 30, drought coverage had eased to 42.8 percent but still covered a larger portion of the country than at the start of the year, when the reported value was 38.1 percent. [1]
The numbers
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Start of year drought coverage | 38.1 percent of the lower 48 states in moderate to exceptional drought (D1–D4) | [1] |
| Spring peak | 44.7 percent on March 25 | [1] |
| Annual minimum | 29.6 percent by June 3 | [1] |
| Yearly maximum | 46.1 percent on October 21 and again on November 18 | [1] |
| Final week of the year | 42.8 percent on December 30 | [1] |
How coverage moved during the year
NOAA/NCEI summarized the 2025 drought footprint across the CONUS as having marked fluctuations. The pattern was specifically described as spring expansion, early summer contraction and autumn resurgence, so the year is best read as a sequence of changes rather than a single annual condition.
The year began with 38.1 percent of the lower 48 states in moderate to exceptional drought, defined in the source as D1–D4. Coverage then expanded through March and reached a spring peak of 44.7 percent on March 25. These percentages describe area coverage, not the number of people affected and not the number of separate drought events.
[1]The early summer minimum
After the spring expansion, widespread precipitation drove a substantial decline in drought coverage. NOAA/NCEI reported that coverage fell to the annual minimum of 29.6 percent by June 3, making that date the lowest reported point in the annual sequence provided by the source.
The annual minimum should not be read as the end of drought conditions. A value of 29.6 percent still represents a reported share of the lower 48 states in moderate to exceptional drought. It indicates that coverage was lower than the other named points in the source, not that drought disappeared nationally.
[1]Autumn resurgence and repeated maximum
The improvement described for early summer was short-lived in the source summary. Drought conditions intensified during late summer and autumn, and coverage increased rapidly to the yearly maximum of 46.1 percent on October 21 and again on November 18.
Because the same yearly maximum is attached to two dates, the statistic should be treated as a repeated peak rather than a single isolated date. The source does not provide a higher value for 2025 in the supplied text, so 46.1 percent is the key high-water mark for the year’s drought coverage series.
[1]Year-end reading and limits
By the final week of the year, December 30, drought coverage had eased slightly to 42.8 percent. Even with that late-year easing, NOAA/NCEI states that coverage remained elevated and left a larger portion of the country in drought than at the start of 2025.
These statistics are about the footprint of moderate to exceptional drought across the CONUS/lower 48 states. They are not population counts, state-level duration measures, economic losses or causal attributions. The supplied source also describes the data as part of a broader annual climate summary, so the drought figures should be interpreted as named annual checkpoints rather than a complete weekly time series.
[1]Sources & notes
Definitions and limitations: D1–D4 means moderate to exceptional drought in the source text. Geography is described as CONUS and the lower 48 states. Percentages are reported area coverage on named dates, not people, visits, accounts, damages or state-by-state counts. Underlying article was published January 13, 2026; figures preserve the source’s 2025 annual framing and dates.
Source review: 2026-09-21. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction