The U.S. Drought Monitor map valid August 25, 2026, and released August 27 shows D4 exceptional drought covering roughly 1.5% of the contiguous United States, concentrated in portions of Idaho, Oregon, Nebraska, Colorado, and adjacent western and High Plains states. Persistent above-normal temperatures, sparse precipitation outside localized monsoon activity, and cumulative soil-moisture and groundwater deficits drove week-over-week expansion of D3–D4 conditions across the Northwest, southern Idaho, and parts of the southern Plains. Authoritative inputs from NOAA, USDA, and NDMC confirm ongoing degradation in streamflow, reservoir levels, and agricultural impacts, with only scattered improvements in the Southeast and Alaska. The next weekly update, based on data through September 1, will determine whether any states cross or exit D4 thresholds.