Recent US Drought Monitor data valid September 22, 2026, show exceptional (D4) conditions persisting across portions of Idaho (6.7% of the state), Arkansas (2.3%), and smaller areas of the southern Rockies and Southwest, amid a national D4 footprint near 2%. Persistent above-average temperatures and below-normal precipitation through summer 2026, including the warmest June–August on record for the contiguous United States, have sustained soil moisture deficits and reduced streamflow in these regions. The USDM, produced weekly by NOAA, USDA, and the National Drought Mitigation Center, incorporates station data, satellite observations, and expert analysis; the map for the week of September 29 will be released around October 1 and directly determines resolution. Short-term forecast improvements from any late-September rainfall could reduce D4 extent before the assessment cutoff, while continued dry conditions would maintain or expand it.