To view the latest Oklahoma drought map, CLICK HERE.
Drought conditions across Oklahoma continue to intensify this week, with 100% of the state now showing some level of dryness. While exceptional drought remains absent, the rapid expansion of moderate to extreme drought underscores how quickly conditions have deteriorated, driven by persistent warmth, wind, and a lack of widespread moisture. Forecasters are watching the coming days closely, as rain chances offer some hope for southeastern areas, even as much of the state remains firmly in drought’s grip.
According to the latest Oklahoma Drought Monitor report, exceptional drought remains at 0 percent, unchanged from the start of the calendar year.
Moderate drought to extreme drought conditions in the current period indicate that 91.22% of the state is affected by drought. Compared with last week’s 74.11%, drought conditions have grown substantially.
Extreme Drought conditions have also worsened this week, now covering 12.08% of the state, up from 9.04% last week, affecting mainly Pottawatomie, Seminole, McClain, Garvin, Stephens, Kiowa, Washita, Delaware, Ottawa, Mayes, Cherokee, and parts of surrounding counties.
According to the 6-to-10-day precipitation outlook map, southeastern Oklahoma is leaning above a 60-70% chance of rain through March 7, while the rest of the state is leaning above a 50-60% chance through that same date.
Stormy, briefly colder weather in California and elsewhere in the West helped to improve previously meager mountain snowpack, with an average of approximately 6 inches of snow-water equivalency being added to the Sierra Nevada. However, 4- to 8-foot snowfall totals in the Sierra Nevada also led to travel disruptions through mountain passes and contributed to the nation’s deadliest avalanche—northwest of Lake Tahoe—in 45 years. Meanwhile, the nation’s mid-section faced several days with record-setting warmth and gusty winds. Portions of the central and southern High Plains endured a rash of wildfires, starting on February 17, with the largest—the Ranger Road Fire—quickly consuming more than 280,000 acres of cured vegetation in northwestern Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas. Initial reports indicated that there were also livestock losses and property destruction. In contrast, several rounds of storminess affected the eastern U.S., culminating in a late-winter blizzard along the middle and northern Atlantic Coast on February 22-23. The winter storm deposited more than a foot of snow in major East Coast cities from Philadelphia to Boston, with a single-storm record of 37.9 inches measured in Providence, Rhode Island. Earlier, an early-season outbreak of severe weather occurred on February 19, when as many as a dozen tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Indiana.
In The South: The southern High Plains endured a historic day of wind and wildfires on February 17, when the Ranger Road Fire was ignited in Beaver County, Oklahoma. The Ranger Road Fire soon scorched more than 280,000 acres of grass and brush, expanding into northwestern Harper County, Oklahoma, and parts of three counties in southwestern Kansas. Meanwhile, the Lavender Fire burned more than 18,000 acres northeast of Vega, Texas, and reportedly destroyed at least 18 structures. On February 17, the day of ignition, peak gusts included 73 mph in Lubbock, Texas, and 67 mph in Guymon, Oklahoma. Due to deteriorating conditions and diminishing topsoil moisture reserves, moderate drought (D1) was broadly introduced across northern and western Oklahoma and the northern panhandle of Texas. Farther east, gradually worsening drought conditions were also observed from the western Gulf Coast region to the Mississippi Delta, with several new areas of extreme drought (D3) being introduced and others being expanded. Coverage of exceptional drought (D4) increased slightly in southern Texas.
In the High Plains: Gradual drought deterioration was noted in several areas, except North Dakota, which remains free of drought. In Nebraska, a mostly dry, windy winter has adversely affected winter wheat, which at the end of January was rated just 24 percent in good to excellent condition—down from 54 percent in late-November 2025. Snowfall that blanketed parts of Nebraska on February 19 provided only temporary relief from overall dryness. Farther south, parts of Kansas and Colorado contended with high winds, grassfires, and blowing dust, especially on February 17. On that date, wind gusts in Colorado were clocked to 79 mph in Colorado Springs, 72 mph in Burlington, and 71 mph in Pueblo. South of Pueblo, on I-25, chain reaction collisions due to low visibility in blowing dust resulted in five fatalities and involved approximately three dozen vehicles.
In the West: There were few overall changes in the West, as most of the heavy precipitation fell in areas—such as northern and central California—currently experiencing no drought. Farther inland, brief bursts of precipitation in drought-affected areas prevented worsening conditions, but provided little overall relief. In Utah’s Wasatch Range, Alta received 31.2 inches of snow in a 24-hour period on February 17-18, but will likely end the month with below-average snowfall. Below-average snow-water equivalency remains a concern in much of the West, even in drought-free areas such as the Sierra Nevada. According to the California Department of Water Resources, the Sierra Nevada snowpack contained an average snow-water equivalency of 16 inches—up about 6 inches from earlier in the month, but less than three-quarters of normal for late February. In much of Arizona, New Mexico, and Oregon, snow-water equivalency values were less than 50 percent of normal.
To view the 6-10 Day Precipitation Outlook Map, click here.
To view the 6-10 Day Temperature Outlook Map, click here.
To view the Monthly Drought Outlook Map, click here.
