Western U.S. drought conditions recede with autumn rainfall

Drought conditions across parts of the Western United States are showing signs of recession due to recent rainfall and the arrival of autumn.

In Colorado, recent rain has reduced the combined area of extreme and exceptional drought to 38 percent, down from 44 percent the previous week. Despite this improvement, the state faces a difficult water year; only 6 percent of Colorado is currently drought-free, compared to 46 percent at the start of the 2025-2026 water year. Exceptional drought remains concentrated in the central mountains and the San Luis Valley.

In the Pacific Northwest, cooler and wetter weather is easing conditions in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. In Oregon, extreme drought has decreased to 20 percent, while exceptional drought has fallen to 4 percent. Idaho has seen an increase in areas with no drought designation, reaching 13 percent, though 7 percent of the state remains in exceptional drought. Washington reports the most stable conditions among the Northwest states, with significant portions of the state moving from moderate drought to abnormally dry categories.