- Much of the Western United States remained unusually dry this week.
- Parts of the Colorado River Basin saw expanding drought conditions.
- Southern Arizona received localized improvement from limited moisture.
- Heat and wind increased fire concerns across several Western states.
Saturday, May 16, 2026 –– The latest U.S. Drought Monitor
shows a growing climate divide across the country as heavy rain drenched parts of the South while much of the American West stayed hot, dry, and increasingly stressed. Across large portions of the region west of the Rocky Mountains, many areas received less than one-tenth of an inch of precipitation during the reporting period.
For the seven Colorado River Basin states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming — the report paints a mixed but concerning picture. The basin continues to face widespread dryness, fluctuating temperatures, and pockets of worsening drought even as a few isolated areas saw temporary improvement.
Heat Tightens Its Grip on the West.
Temperatures across much of the Western United States climbed well above seasonal averages during the week. Portions of California and Nevada recorded temperatures 6 to more than 12 degrees above normal, while desert areas in the Southwest pushed into the 80s and 90s. Death Valley repeatedly topped 100 degrees.
The combination of heat, dry ground, and strong winds elevated fire danger in several areas, particularly across portions of the interior West and Upper Missouri Valley. At the same time, some higher elevation locations in Utah experienced unusually cold overnight temperatures, with readings dropping as low as 10 degrees in isolated mountain areas.
Colorado River Basin Conditions Remain Uneven.
Conditions across the Colorado River Basin varied from state to state, but dryness remained the dominant theme.
In Nevada, drought conditions worsened in northern portions of the state, where severe drought (D2) expanded and extreme drought (D3) also grew in coverage. California remained largely dry, with very little precipitation reported across much of the state.
Wyoming and Colorado saw somewhat better conditions than many neighboring states after portions of the region received between 0.7 and 1.6 inches of precipitation. That moisture helped reduce some of the most severe drought categories in parts of both states. Wyoming even saw the removal of some exceptional drought (D4) areas during the week.
Arizona and New Mexico experienced a split pattern. Eastern New Mexico and eastern Utah remained cooler than average, while southern Arizona saw limited drought improvement after localized moisture reached the region. Moderate drought (D1), severe drought (D2), and abnormal dryness (D0) improved in portions of southern Arizona.
Still, the overall picture for the basin remained dry. Large sections of the West recorded precipitation deficits ranging from 0.6 to 1.5 inches below seasonal averages.
Dry Pattern Expected to Continue.
Looking ahead, forecasters expect the West to remain warmer than normal through at least the third week of May. The Climate Prediction Center outlook favors continued above-normal temperatures across most of the western United States, including much of the Colorado River Basin.
While parts of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies may receive some light to moderate precipitation from an incoming Pacific weather system, the outlook also favors below-normal precipitation along much of the West Coast, especially northern California.
The report suggests that despite scattered short-term improvements, the broader drought challenges facing the Colorado River Basin remain firmly in place as the region heads deeper into the 2026 warm season.
