Recent U.S. Drought Monitor data valid August 18, 2026, show exceptional (D4) drought persisting or expanding in western Nebraska, parts of Colorado, northeastern Oregon, and far southern Idaho, with extreme-to-exceptional conditions also noted in western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and southeastern Arkansas. Worsening has occurred across the Northern and Southern Plains and Northwest amid above-normal temperatures and variable precipitation, while the East and parts of the Interior West have seen localized improvement. The Climate Prediction Center’s 6–10-day outlook for August 25–29 favors above-normal rainfall along the northern Eastern Seaboard and below-normal totals over much of Texas, with well-above-normal temperatures across most of the contiguous United States. The next USDM release, expected late August, will incorporate these patterns and any additional rainfall or heat impacts on soil moisture and vegetation indices.