Map Reveals Weird January Drought Hitting 130 Million People

Seeing widespread drought in January is historically rare within the U.S., and but, the most recent information reveals that just about each state is presently experiencing abnormally dry or drought circumstances. To make issues weirder, the one state that’s to date been spared by this weird phenomenon is the one you’d least anticipate.

Based on the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map, which reveals the nationwide extent and severity of abnormally dry circumstances as of January 13, 49 states are at the very least partially affected—leaving California as the only real exception. That’s proper, the Golden State is drought-free for the primary time in 1 / 4 century. Elsewhere, greater than 130 million People are coping with unseasonal water stress.

“It’s terrifying to think about the upcoming hearth season,” Scott Fitzwilliams, the not too long ago retired head of Colorado’s White River Nationwide Forest, told the Washington Submit. “Forest managers, water managers, and firefighters are all going to be on pins and needles come spring.”

Nationwide drought in 2025 set the stage

2025 was an exceptionally dry yr for america. Drought was widespread and protracted throughout the nation from January to December, reaching its nationwide peak in late November with 36.64% of the nation in some stage of drought.

Throughout the Western and Central U.S., this has largely been attributable to above-average temperatures. About 70% of the West’s water provide comes from mountain snowmelt, however April and Could heatwaves induced the snowpack to soften out too early, leaving much less water accessible throughout peak summer season demand.

Unseasonable heat continued to influence the area by way of the top of the yr, with Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Utah all setting new statewide data for November common temperatures. Moreover, the West has received far much less snow than regular in the course of the 2025-2026 winter season, which is able to assist drought circumstances persist for months to return.

Within the East, drought and irregular dryness worsened between August and September whereas circumstances improved throughout elements of the West and the Nice Plains. A lot of New England acquired lower than 50% of its regular summer season precipitation, and by the top of September, roughly one-third of the area was in extreme or excessive drought.

Quick-forward to January 2026—circumstances aren’t wanting any higher. As of January 13, 39 states from Maine to Hawaii had been experiencing drought circumstances starting from extreme to distinctive, based on Drought.gov. At the moment, these circumstances lined 35.66% of the U.S. and Puerto Rico, or 42.55% of the Decrease 48 states.

Whereas sure areas have acquired useful precipitation over the previous two weeks—together with elements of the central Plains, Midwest, Southwest, and central Rocky Mountains—temperatures remained above regular throughout many of the nation. Drought restoration already takes months to years, however analysis shows that local weather change is making it take even longer, with shorter intervals of time between droughts.

For sure, it is going to be a very long time earlier than many of the U.S. bounces again from this ongoing drought. In the meantime, California is getting a long-awaited reprieve from its water woes, however at nice value.

California: the bizarre outlier

Present circumstances in California are very totally different than they had been a yr in the past. The state was extraordinarily dry in January 2025—so dry {that a} sturdy Santa Ana wind occasion sparked lethal and damaging wildfires that rapidly tore by way of greater than 38,000 acres (15,000 hectares) and destroyed greater than 16,000 buildings throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan space.

Whereas final January was exceptionally devastating for California, the state had skilled at the very least some areas of irregular dryness for the previous 25 years. Actually, historic data show that the state has grow to be more and more dry since 1895. However by the top of 2025, Californians had been contending with the other drawback: excessive rainfall.

From October to December, a number of atmospheric rivers dumped above-average rainfall on the Golden State, triggering widespread flash flooding and mudslides—significantly in burn scar areas left behind by the LA wildfires. Unofficial experiences suggest at the very least 20 individuals died attributable to this collection of harmful storms.

Sufficient rain fell to replenish the state’s long-depleted reservoirs and eliminate areas of irregular dryness by the beginning of 2026. Because of this, wildfire hazard throughout California ought to stay comparatively low till early summer season. The remainder of the U.S., nonetheless, might be in for a way more risky wildfire season as drought, low snowpack, and above-normal temperatures persist.