Drought
Below normalIdaho drought
Share of state area in drought (D1-D4) or worse, week over week
Data through Oct 13, 2026 · source last checked Oct 17, 2026 · page revised Oct 15, 2026
Cite
- % in drought
About this data
- Source
- US Drought Monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, NOAA)
- Series
- Share of area in moderate drought (D1) or worse
- Geography
- Idaho
- Unit
- %
- Calculation
- Conditions as of the prior Tuesday
- Last observation
- Oct 13, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly, released Thursdays
Drought eased week over week (now 66%).
Idaho's drought coverage eased to 66% of the state, down 2 percentage points on the week. Month over month the share fell 7 points; year-over-year the improvement is 18 points. Against the 5-year median of 82%, the state is running 16 points lower.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | 66% | 68% | -2 pts |
| Month over month | 66% | 73% | -7 pts |
| Year over year | 66% | 84% | -18 pts |
| vs 5-yr median | 66% | 82% | -16 pts |
| Category | Share of area in this category | At this level or worse |
|---|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry | 18% | 83.8% |
| D1 moderate drought | 16.8% | 65.8% |
| D2 severe drought | 23.6% | 49% |
| D3 extreme drought | 18.7% | 25.4% |
| D4 exceptional drought | 6.7% | 6.7% |
| County | Area in drought (D1-D4) | Since last week | Most severe category | Weeks in drought |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Falls County | 100% | no change | D4 exceptional drought | 68 |
Each county is read from the same weekly US Drought Monitor map, inside the county line. Weeks in drought counts the weekly maps in a row, up to the latest, that show any of the county in D1 or worse.
Previous weeks
Week of Oct 6, 2026
Drought coverage in Idaho fell to 68%, down 1 percentage point on the week. The state sits 16 percentage points below year-ago levels (84%) and 14 percentage points below the 5-year median of 81%, per the US Drought Monitor. Month over month, coverage eased 6 percentage points from 73%.
Week of Sep 29, 2026
Idaho drought coverage stood at 68% of the state, down 22 points year over year and down 6 points month over month. Coverage is 21 points below the 5-year median.
Week of Sep 22, 2026
Idaho's drought coverage eased to 68%, down 5 percentage points on the week. The state has improved 22 percentage points since last year, when 90% of the area was in drought, and sits 21 percentage points below the 5-year median.
Week of Sep 8, 2026
Idaho drought coverage fell to 73% of the state, down 1 point on the week. The improvement marks a 12-point retreat from the prior year. Still, the state sits 11 points above its 5-year median, reflecting drought conditions that remain worse than normal for this time of year.
Idaho drought conditions
Idaho has 65.8% of its area in drought (D1 or worse) on the US Drought Monitor map dated Oct 13, 2026, and 83.8% at least abnormally dry (D0 or worse). The most severe category present is D4, exceptional drought, covering 6.7% of the state.
Over the last 52 weekly maps the share in drought ranged from 45.7% (Jan 13, 2026) to 96.9% (Jun 23, 2026), and every one of them showed at least some drought.
The Monitor sorts land into five categories, from D0, abnormally dry and not yet drought, to D4, exceptional drought, and this page counts D1 through D4 as drought. The guide to what D0 to D4 mean explains each class, who draws the weekly map and why it lags a fast-moving storm.