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NASS briefing: moderate and severe drought expanded across U.S. through June 30, 2026
Summary
NASS presented drought-condition snapshots showing moderate drought at 45% of the U.S. and severe drought at 29% as of June 30, 2026, rising from 18%/6% on July 1, 2025 and 32%/7% on Dec. 30, 2025; impacts concentrated in western and southwestern states and parts of the Atlantic Seaboard.
At the July NASS cattle briefing, Travis Averell presented three 12-month snapshots of U.S. drought conditions and said they became more widespread over the period. He reported that on July 1, 2025 moderate drought affected 18% of the country and severe drought 6%; by Dec. 30, 2025 moderate had climbed to 32% and severe to 7%; and by June 30, 2026 moderate drought was 45% and severe drought 29%.
Averell noted that the drought impacts were concentrated in western and southwestern states and extended into parts of the Atlantic Seaboard; maps shown in the briefing illustrated conditions in yellow (moderate) and red (severe). The briefing did not present direct estimates tying these drought figures to measured changes in production or regional inventory shifts at the county level; interested users were directed to NASS maps and county tables online for more granular information.
