Is Harney County in a drought?

• D0 Abnormally dry
• D1 Moderate drought
• D2 Severe drought
• D3 Extreme drought
• D4 Exceptional drought

• D0 Abnormally dry
• D1 Moderate drought
• D2 Severe drought
• D3 Extreme drought
• D4 Exceptional drought

Weeks with some drought

995 of 1,395 (71%)

Worst category reached

D4 Exceptional drought, last the week of Jun 7, 2022

Most widespread

100% in drought, week of Sep 22, 2026

Longest spell

263 weeks, Dec 27, 2011 to Jan 3, 2017

Current spell

28 weeks, since Mar 17, 2026

Monthly outlook, Sep 2026

Drought persists

Seasonal outlook, through December 31 (issued Sep 17)

Drought persists

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

Drawn from the Drought Impact Reporter and local observers.

The Drought Monitor does not issue burn bans or water restrictions. Harney 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.

Eastern Arizona to central New Mexico experienced monsoonal storms causing localized flooding and some drought improvement. Southern California and southern Nevada continued to be dry, leading to degradation of dry categories. Central Utah, central Oregon, southern Idaho, and northern New Mexico continue to be the largest areas of extreme to exceptional drought in this region, with smaller areas of extreme drought in a few other states.

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.

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.

• Crook CountyD4 Exceptional drought
• Deschutes CountyD3 Extreme drought
• Grant CountyD4 Exceptional drought
• Humboldt County, NVD3 Extreme drought
• Lake CountyD2 Severe drought
• Malheur CountyD3 Extreme drought
• Washoe County, NVD1 Moderate drought

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.