Recent U.S. Drought Monitor data valid through August 18, 2026, show limited pockets of exceptional (D4) drought persisting in western Nebraska, parts of Colorado, northeastern Oregon, and far southern Idaho, amid broader extreme (D3) conditions across the western and northern Plains. Authoritative assessments from the National Drought Mitigation Center, NOAA, and USDA indicate drought coverage expanded to roughly 44% of the contiguous United States, with recent degradation in the Northern and Southern Plains and Northwest driven by below-normal precipitation and above-average temperatures. The Climate Prediction Center’s 6–10-day outlook for August 25–29 favors above-normal rainfall along the northern East Coast and parts of the Midwest but below-normal totals across much of Texas, while strong El Niño influences continue to shape western dryness. The next USDM release around August 27 will incorporate these precipitation patterns and any additional heat stress when classifying D4 areas by state for the target week.