Michigan drought

Is Oceana County in a drought?

D0 Abnormally dry

No. Oceana County is not in drought on the Drought Monitor map of Sep 22, 2026, but all of it is abnormally dry (D0), the category before drought.

Map valid Sep 22, 2026, released Thursday, Sep 24, 2026. The next map is due Thursday, Oct 1, 2026. Statewide, 14.9% of Michigan is in drought.

Oceana County forecastWeather alertsLive radar here

This week’s map

The Drought Monitor for Michigan, valid Sep 22, 2026. County lines are drawn in; the categories are the same as the national map.

US Drought Monitor map of Michigan for Sep 22, 2026, shaded D0 abnormally dry through D4 exceptional drought
  • D0 Abnormally dry
  • D1 Moderate drought
  • D2 Severe drought
  • D3 Extreme drought
  • D4 Exceptional drought

Open the live map with the Drought Monitor

Map courtesy of the US Drought Monitor, NDMC-UNL, with USDA and NOAA. Original at droughtmonitor.unl.edu

This week's map, by category

Percent of Oceana County in each category or worse, the Drought Monitor's own way of counting. In exactly one category this week: D0 100%, D1 0%, D2 0%, D3 0%, D4 0%; none 0%.

CategoryThis weekSep 22Last weekSep 153 months agoJun 23A year agoSep 23
D0 to D4 Abnormally dry or worse100%100%0%100%
D1 to D4 Moderate or worse0%0%0%100%
D2 to D4 Severe or worse0%0%0%0%
D3 to D4 Extreme or worse0%0%0%0%
D4 Exceptional drought0%0%0%0%
None0%0%100%0%

The past year

Percent of Oceana County in each category, week by week. Each color includes the worse categories drawn over it.

Percent of Oceana County in drought categories from Sep 23, 2025 to Sep 22, 2026. On the latest map, 0% is in drought (D1 or worse) and 100% is abnormally dry or worse.0%25%50%75%100%OctNovDec2026FebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep
  • D0 Abnormally dry
  • D1 Moderate drought
  • D2 Severe drought
  • D3 Extreme drought
  • D4 Exceptional drought
Every week in the chart
MapD0+D1+D2+D3+D4+
Sep 22, 2026100%0%0%0%0%
Sep 15, 2026100%0%0%0%0%
Sep 8, 2026100%0%0%0%0%
Sep 1, 2026100%0%0%0%0%
Aug 25, 2026100%0%0%0%0%
Aug 18, 2026100%0%0%0%0%
Aug 11, 20260.2%0%0%0%0%
Aug 4, 20260.2%0%0%0%0%
Jul 28, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Jul 21, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Jul 14, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Jul 7, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Jun 30, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Jun 23, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Jun 16, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Jun 9, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Jun 2, 20260%0%0%0%0%
May 26, 20260%0%0%0%0%
May 19, 20260%0%0%0%0%
May 12, 20260%0%0%0%0%
May 5, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Apr 28, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Apr 21, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Apr 14, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Apr 7, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Mar 31, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Mar 24, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Mar 17, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Mar 10, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Mar 3, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Feb 24, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Feb 17, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Feb 10, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Feb 3, 20260%0%0%0%0%
Jan 27, 202686.9%0%0%0%0%
Jan 20, 202687.4%0%0%0%0%
Jan 13, 2026100%0%0%0%0%
Jan 6, 2026100%100%0%0%0%
Dec 30, 2025100%100%0%0%0%
Dec 23, 2025100%100%0%0%0%
Dec 16, 2025100%100%0%0%0%
Dec 9, 2025100%100%0%0%0%
Dec 2, 2025100%100%0%0%0%
Nov 25, 2025100%100%0%0%0%
Nov 18, 2025100%100%100%0%0%
Nov 11, 2025100%100%100%0%0%
Nov 4, 2025100%100%100%0%0%
Oct 28, 2025100%100%100%0%0%
Oct 21, 2025100%100%100%0%0%
Oct 14, 2025100%100%100%0%0%
Oct 7, 2025100%100%70.8%0%0%
Sep 30, 2025100%100%70.8%0%0%
Sep 23, 2025100%100%0%0%0%

Since 2000

Every weekly map of Oceana County since January 2000.

Percent of Oceana County in drought categories from Jan 4, 2000 to Sep 22, 2026. On the latest map, 0% is in drought (D1 or worse) and 100% is abnormally dry or worse.0%25%50%75%100%200420082012201620202024
  • D0 Abnormally dry
  • D1 Moderate drought
  • D2 Severe drought
  • D3 Extreme drought
  • D4 Exceptional drought
Year by year
YearWorst categoryMost in droughtWeek ofWeeks with drought
2026D1 Moderate drought100%Jan 61 of 38
2025D2 Severe drought100%Sep 1623 of 52
2024D1 Moderate drought13%Nov 520 of 53
2023D1 Moderate drought100%Jun 1317 of 52
2022D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 52
2021D1 Moderate drought100%Apr 279 of 52
2020D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 52
2019None0%0 of 53
2018D1 Moderate drought98.8%Aug 142 of 52
2017D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 52
2016D1 Moderate drought42.8%Jul 54 of 52
2015D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 52
2014None0%0 of 52
2013D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 53
2012D1 Moderate drought99.4%Jul 174 of 52
2011None0%0 of 52
2010D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 52
2009D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 52
2008D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 53
2007D1 Moderate drought100%Aug 77 of 52
2006None0%0 of 52
2005D1 Moderate drought100%Jun 2819 of 52
2004D1 Moderate drought100%Oct 53 of 52
2003D2 Severe drought100%Jan 726 of 52
2002D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 53
2001D0 Abnormally dry0%0 of 52
2000D1 Moderate drought25.4%Apr 113 of 52

Drought history since 2000

Some part of Oceana County was in drought on 10% of the weekly maps since Jan 4, 2000.

Weeks with some drought
138 of 1,395 (10%)
Worst category reached
D2 Severe drought, last the week of Nov 18, 2025
Most widespread
100% in drought, week of Jan 6, 2026
Longest spell
22 weeks, Oct 10, 2023 to Mar 5, 2024
Last in drought
Week of Jan 6, 2026

Outlook

The Climate Prediction Center's drought outlooks at the center of Oceana County: whether drought is expected to develop, persist, improve or end.

Monthly outlook, Sep 2026
No drought expected
Seasonal outlook, through December 31 (issued Sep 17)
No drought expected

The monthly outlook is issued on the last day of each month, the seasonal one on the third Thursday. CPC's discussion.

What drought has meant in Michigan

The National Drought Mitigation Center's examples of impacts observed in Michigan at each level of drought, starting with this week's worst here.

D0 Abnormally dry This week

  • Grass fires increase
  • Lawns are brown; landscape and gardens are watered more frequently

D1 Moderate drought

  • Most crops and vegetation are stressed; farmed Christmas trees are stressed
  • Well levels decline

D2 Severe drought

  • Corn and soybean yields are low
  • Mature trees are stressed
  • Streamflow is extremely low, potentially too low to irrigate

Drawn from the Drought Impact Reporter and local observers.

Burn bans and water restrictions

The Drought Monitor does not issue burn bans or water restrictions. Oceana County's officials, the state forestry or fire agency, and local water utilities set them, often once drought reaches D2 or dry fuels raise the fire danger. Check the county's emergency management office or fire marshal for a ban in force, and the alerts page for red flag warnings and fire weather watches.

This week in the Midwest

The Drought Monitor authors' narrative for the map of Sep 22, 2026, released Sep 24, 2026.

Southern Missouri was generally hot and dry this past week, with drought conditions deteriorating over much of the region. However, northern Missouri was wet leading to improvement in drought conditions. Southern Minnesota, eastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, and northern Minnesota received significant precipitation, with over 8 inches falling in northeast Grant County, Wisconsin. The dry categories were thus improved in these areas. Northern Wisconsin, on the other hand, was dry with localized deterioration and the introduction of a small area of exceptional drought.

Looking ahead

The next five days are forecast to be wet along the northeastern coast from a nor’easter. The northwest is also predicted to receive needed precipitation. Remnants of a tropical system will provide significant moisture into the Four Corners states and the western Great Plains with heavy rainfall in the forecast. Parts of the northern Great Plains are also forecast to receive welcome precipitation. Areas with little rain in the forecast over the next five days are much of Texas and Louisiana, around the Great Lakes, and California and Nevada. The south and southwest should continue to have above normal temperatures, with cooler temperatures in the northeast and the northwest.

The 6- to 10-day outlook (September 29 to October 3) favors above normal temperatures over the southern half of the continental U.S. as well as the northeast. Hawaii is also likely to have above normal temperatures. The Great Basin area could have below normal rainfall, while above normal is possible over much of the central U.S. Both Hawaii and eastern Alaska are also favored to have above normal precipitation during this period.

Written by Lindsay Johnson, National Drought Mitigation Center; David Mocko, SSAI, NASA/GSFC. The national narrative.

What this means

The five categories the Drought Monitor draws, and how the map is made.

D0 Abnormally dry
Going into or coming out of drought.
D1 Moderate drought
Some damage to crops and pastures; water shortages developing.
D2 Severe drought
Crop or pasture losses likely; water restrictions imposed.
D3 Extreme drought
Major crop and pasture losses; widespread water shortages.
D4 Exceptional drought
Exceptional and widespread losses; water emergencies.

The US Drought Monitor is drawn every week by authors at the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA and NOAA, who weigh rainfall, soil moisture, streamflow, groundwater, vegetation health and reports from local observers. Each map shows conditions through Tuesday morning and is released on Thursday. It shows where drought is and how bad it is; it does not forecast it. CPC's outlooks do that.

Nearby

The counties bordering Oceana County, with the worst category on this week's map.

Sources

Statistics and narrative from the US Drought Monitor, courtesy of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with USDA and NOAA. Outlooks from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center. Impacts from NDMC's State Impacts tool.