Is Dane 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

261 of 1,396 (19%)

Worst category reached

D3 Extreme drought, last the week of Sep 19, 2023

Most widespread

100% in drought, week of Oct 29, 2024

Longest spell

52 weeks, Apr 27, 2021 to Apr 19, 2022

Last in drought

Week of Aug 18, 2026

Monthly outlook, Oct 2026

No drought expected

Seasonal outlook, through December 31 (issued Sep 30)

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.

Drawn from the Drought Impact Reporter and local observers.

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

The Midwestern states covered a broad range of conditions ranging from extreme to exceptional drought in northern Wisconsin, to excessive wetness from prolific rainfall all summer from Iowa to Ohio, where very little drought or abnormal dryness is present this week. This persistent storm track has separated the southern drought from the northern drought. This past week, the long-term drought in Minnesota experienced some relief as up to 5 inches or more of rain fell over an area of severe to extreme drought near the North Dakota border, leading to relief there. Northwestern Minnesota completely relaxed out of drought this week as more beneficial rain fell there. Extreme to exceptional drought persisted in northern Wisconsin where little rain fell this past week. The drought also spread this past week into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with an unusual lack of rainfall in late September intensified drought to between moderate and extreme levels. Nearly 15 inches of rain needs to fall in a 3-month span to fully recover from the present drought in northern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. Drought also continued to intensify this week across southern Missouri.

Looking ahead

Ongoing substantial rain was falling Tuesday morning at the onset of the new U.S. Drought Monitor week, from Arizona and New Mexico into the Central and High Plains. This excessive rainy system connected to Hurricane Polo is projected to continue eastward this week into the High Plains, Midwest, and South regions. The Weather Prediction Center has moderate threats for excessive rainfall from the Southwest into Texas, Oklahoma, northward into Nebraska and Iowa. Drought-busting rains may be possible across the South as this weather system evolves this week. Looking into the next week, the Climate Prediction Center’s 6–10-day outlook indicates that well-above average temperatures will shift into the western states, along with below normal precipitation chances. Meanwhile, above average precipitation chances are projected from southern Texas into the southeastern states, including Florida. Above average precipitation chances are also projected for southeastern Alaska, with near neutral rainfall forecasts for Hawaii.

Written by Denise Gutzmer, National Drought Mitigation Center; Jonathan Case, NASA/MSFC, UAH. 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.

• Columbia CountyNone
• Dodge CountyNone
• Green CountyNone
• Iowa CountyNone
• Jefferson CountyNone
• Rock CountyNone
• Sauk CountyNone

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.