Weekly percent area affected by drought in the U.S. 2018-2025, by category

The share of the continental United States (CONUS) area affected by drought has varied in recent years. In 2021 and 2022, large proportions of the country were affected by drought of varying intensities. In 2023, the area unaffected by drought started increasing and by April 2025, over 41 percent of the country's total area was not under drought conditions. Meanwhile, Western States have been particularly hit hard by severe droughts in recent years. The three-year period from 2020 to 2022 is the driest on record in California. Extreme droughts have affected large proportions of the state throughout 2021 and 2022.