- Drought worsened in the Northeast, Southeast, and parts of the Midwest.
- Heavy rains eased conditions in Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Utah.
- Colorado saw both improvement in the south and worsening drought in the north.
- Most of the Central to Northern Great Plains remain drought-free.
Saturday, September 13, 2025 –– The September 11, 2025, U.S. Drought Monitor
shows a mixed picture across the country. Abnormal dryness and moderate to severe drought expanded across the Lower to Middle Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians, Northeast, and Southeast. However, “heavy precipitation (2 inches or more) resulted in a 1-category improvement to central and eastern portions of Kentucky and Tennessee,” according to the report.
Hurricane Lorena brought enhanced moisture to the Desert Southwest, improving drought conditions in several areas. New Mexico and parts of Texas also saw relief after heavy rains. The Pacific Northwest showed little change, while Hawaii continued to experience drought of varying intensity. Alaska and Puerto Rico remained drought-free.
Arizona.
Locally heavy precipitation brought improvements across western to southern Arizona. At the same time, a weaker summer Monsoon—averaging about 50 percent below normal rainfall over the last 60 days—led to an expansion of extreme drought in eastern parts of the state.
California.
The report noted that conditions in California held steady. No major improvements or degradations were made this week. Despite warmer-than-normal temperatures, drought classifications remained unchanged.
Colorado.
Southern Colorado benefited from significant rainfall, leading to improvements in dryness levels. However, “worsening SPIs led to a slight expansion of severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought for northern Colorado.” This highlights the state’s continuing regional contrasts, with southern areas improving while northern counties face mounting challenges.
Nevada.
Southeastern Nevada saw drought improvements tied to locally heavy precipitation. This continues a trend of short-term relief in parts of the state, though conditions remain variable across the region.
New Mexico.
A strong cold front brought widespread rainfall. According to the report, “heavy precipitation (1 to 2.5 inches) supported a decrease in severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought around the Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces areas.” These improvements mark one of the more significant changes in the basin this week.
Utah.
Parts of southwestern Utah saw drought conditions improve after localized heavy rains. However, much of the state remains dry, and longer-term drought indicators continue to show stress.
Wyoming.
Most of Wyoming remained drought-free this week. Conditions were largely stable, and no major changes were reported.
The Outlook.
The report projects that dryness will continue across much of the eastern and central United States through September 15. Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected to spread east across the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, with highs near 100 degrees in some areas. Meanwhile, “another week of heavy rainfall is forecast to affect the southern third of the Florida Peninsula and portions of New Mexico.”
The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook (September 16-20) favors above-normal temperatures for nearly the entire lower 48 states and above-normal precipitation for much of the Rockies and Southwest.
