Drought
Below normalMontana 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 16, 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
- Montana
- Unit
- %
- Calculation
- Conditions as of the prior Tuesday
- Last observation
- Oct 13, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly, released Thursdays
Drought eased week over week (now 21%).
Drought coverage in Montana eased to 21%, down 5 percentage points on the week. The state has shed 27 percentage points over the prior month and 26 percentage points year over year. Coverage sits 34 percentage points below its 5-year median.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | 21% | 26% | -5 pts |
| Month over month | 21% | 47% | -27 pts |
| Year over year | 21% | 47% | -26 pts |
| vs 5-yr median | 21% | 54% | -34 pts |
| Category | Share of area in this category | At this level or worse |
|---|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry | 19.3% | 39.8% |
| D1 moderate drought | 9.2% | 20.5% |
| D2 severe drought | 6.4% | 11.4% |
| D3 extreme drought | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| D4 exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
Previous weeks
Week of Oct 6, 2026
Montana's drought coverage fell to 26%, down 12 percentage points week over week per the US Drought Monitor. The state dropped 27 percentage points month over month, 19 percentage points year over year, and is 25 percentage points below its 5-year median.
Week of Sep 29, 2026
Montana drought coverage fell to 38% of state area, down 6 percentage points week over week and 19 points from a month ago. At 38%, the state sits 4 points below its 5-year median for this period.
Week of Sep 22, 2026
Drought coverage in Montana eased to 44%, down 3 points on the week. Over the month, the area in drought fell 12 points. Year-over-year, coverage is up 3 points from 40%.
Week of Sep 8, 2026
Drought eased to 53% of Montana, down 4 percentage points on the week. The share remains 10 percentage points above the 5-year median and 17 points above last year's level.
Montana drought conditions
Montana has 20.5% of its area in drought (D1 or worse) on the US Drought Monitor map dated Oct 13, 2026, and 39.8% at least abnormally dry (D0 or worse). The most severe category present is D3, extreme drought, covering 4.9% of the state.
Over the last 52 weekly maps the share in drought ranged from 18.2% (Jan 13, 2026) to 76.7% (Jun 23, 2026), and every one of them showed at least some drought.
This site tracks two reservoirs in Montana: Hungry Horse Reservoir's water level stood at 3,542.07 feet above sea level on Oct 15, 2026, with 3.06 million acre-feet in storage (88% of capacity); and Canyon Ferry Lake's water level stood at 3,784.54 feet above sea level on Oct 15, 2026, with 1.48 million acre-feet in storage (78% of capacity). The drought map scores conditions on the land week by week, while a large reservoir carries water over from earlier years, so the two can tell different stories for a season or longer.
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.