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Nebraska 2026 Drought Coverage

Much of Nebraska is dealing with severe drought conditions following a lack of rainfall and the warmest winter since the Dust Bowl. Almost 950,000 Nebraskans live in an area experiencing dry conditions, with nearly the entire state in some level of drought.

‘We’re not even seeing weeds germinate': Nebraska ag operations getting shuffled as exceptional drought doubles
Ag producers in western and central Nebraska are dealing with pastures that feel more like a desert landscape as the historic 2026 drought intensifies.
Parts of western Nebraska now in 'exceptional' drought
According to the latest drought monitor released Thursday by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a small portion of the Panhandle is now experiencing exceptional drought. The last time drought was that bad in any part of the state was in early January 2024.
News
‘Nothing remotely close to it’: Nebraska grappling with warmest, driest drought on record
Nebraska could be on the doorstep to one of its most devastating droughts. New data shows the state is set up for a drier start to the year than 2012.
News
Extreme weather has ravaged many U.S. farms this year. Here’s how farmers are adapting
Severe weather is happening more frequently as the climate changes, adding to an ever-growing list of challenges for U.S. farmers. From sudden temperature swings to floods, these events can have serious consequences for farms and ranches.
Recent rain relieves eastern Nebraska dry spots, drought increases in western areas
After a brutally dry March that brought record wildfires and little moisture, April is delivering some relief in select parts of the state. But western and central Nebraska are continuing to slide deeper into drought.
Newest groundwater report shows several pockets of decline
Several areas in Nebraska saw groundwater levels decline between spring 2024 and spring 2025, according to a new report from the Conservation and Survey Division at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Drought expands across Nebraska, with 'extreme' category nearly doubling
According to the latest Drought Monitor released Thursday, nearly 43% of the state was in extreme drought, almost double the 22% from last week.
Nebraska trees face a tough summer after winter drought
After one of the warmest Nebraska winters since the Dust Bowl and a drought across much of Nebraska, state forestry officials are urging homeowners to pay close attention to their trees.
Ranchers concerned about pastures after Nebraska’s warmest winter since Dust Bowl
Nebraska farmers and ranchers are preparing for a potentially difficult summer as the state experiences its third-warmest winter on record, according to the National Weather Service. The two warmest winters since 2025-26 were in 1931 and 1934, which occurred at the beginning of the Dust Bowl in the U.S.
Drought gets worse for fifth week in a row, northeast Nebraska enters red zone
The U.S. Drought Monitor showed another week of worsening drought. While western Nebraska has seen extreme drought for a few weeks, the northeast part of the state entered the red zone this week.
Western Nebraska could face water limits as Wyoming, Colorado see record-low snowpack
A historically dry winter season in the West is setting the stage for limited water resources this year in Nebraska.
High temperatures and low snowpack may mean less water for Nebraska this summer
Record warm temperatures across Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming have led to significant drought conditions and low snowpacks.
Western Nebraska’s unseasonably warm and windy winter setting up for a dry season
Autumn seems to be giving a record-long Midwestern goodbye in some parts of Nebraska, where a lack of snowfall, or even intermittent rain, is leaving pastures dry and dusty.