Recent U.S. Drought Monitor data valid September 22, 2026, show exceptional (D4) conditions persisting across parts of northern Texas, western and southern Oklahoma, Arkansas, central Colorado, and western Nebraska amid prolonged heat and below-normal precipitation in the Southern Plains. These areas experienced further degradation over the prior week while rainfall brought improvements across much of the West, High Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. The next weekly map, covering conditions through late September and released around October 1, will incorporate any late-month precipitation or continued dryness; the 6- to 10-day outlook favors above-normal temperatures across the southern U.S. with mixed precipitation signals that could influence D4 expansion or relief in affected states.