Map released: Thurs. October 3, 2024
Data valid: October 1, 2024 at 8 a.m. EDT

Intensity

  • None
  • D0 (Abnormally Dry)
  • D1 (Moderate Drought)
  • D2 (Severe Drought)
  • D3 (Extreme Drought)
  • D4 (Exceptional Drought)
  • No Data

Authors

United States and Puerto Rico Author(s):

Pacific Islands and Virgin Islands Author(s):

The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions. Local conditions may vary. See accompanying text summary for forecast statements.

Statistics

Statistics type ?
Week Date None D0-D4 D1-D4 D2-D4 D3-D4 D4 DSCI

Estimated Population in Drought Areas:

Current Impacts


To see or report current drought impacts, please visit the Drought Impacts Toolkit, where you can find impacts from media in the Drought Impact Reporter and from citizen scientists and other volunteer observers under Condition Monitoring Observations.

Historic Impacts


No two states have the same experience during a drought. Below are examples of some of the impacts experienced in Washington in the past. The process for developing this example impact table is described in Noel, M., Bathke, D., Fuchs, B., Gutzmer, D., Haigh, T., Hayes, M., Poděbradská, M., Shield, C., Smith, K. and Svoboda, M., 2020. Linking drought impacts to drought severity at the state level. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 101(8), pp.E1312-E1321. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0067.1. To view a more complete record, and to filter impacts by drought severity, sector and season, check out the interactive State Impacts Tool.

CategoryExamples of historically observed impacts
D0Ski season is shortened, visitation is lower
D1Fire danger increases
Possible dust storms
River flow is low
D2Fishing closures are issued for rivers; tubing and rafting season is shortened; fish are stressed; fish rescues begin
Number of wildfires increases; grasses are brown
Producers feed cows earlier; silage is harder to find
River water is warm; rationed water supplies are inadequate for irrigators; water theft occurs; voluntary water conservation is requested
West Nile Virus cases increase
Wheat and corn are stunted; harvest is early
D3Crop and hop yields are poor; wheat protein content is higher
Domestic wells are running dry; lake and pond levels are low
Hydropower production is low
Tourism is reduced and recreation is altered
Toxic algae blooms increase; oxygen content is low; shellfish areas close; spawning areas are difficult for fish to reach; fish death is widespread
Unprecedented wildfires occur; call is issued for citizen volunteers to fight fires; firefighting funds are running out
Water and forest ecosystems are altered; bears look for forage at lower elevations

How is drought affecting you?

Use the Condition Monitoring Observer Report (CMOR) system to let us know how dry, wet or normal conditions are affecting you, and see what others are saying.

Submit report