Is Michigan in a drought?
This week's U.S. Drought Monitor for Michigan, and the category in each of its 83 counties, from the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Yes, in part: 27.41% of Michigan is in drought (D1 to D4).
62.62% is at least abnormally dry (D0 to D4), 18.72% in severe drought or worse (D2 to D4), 4.19% extreme or worse (D3 to D4) and 0.12% in D4 Exceptional Drought.
Next map: released Thursday 22 October 2026.
On the map valid 13 October 2026, 23 of 83 counties had some drought (D1 or worse); 33 more were abnormally dry (D0) only. D4 Exceptional Drought somewhere in 1. D3 Extreme Drought somewhere in 4. D2 Severe Drought somewhere in 8.
Every county, map valid 13 October 2026
The category is the most severe one covering any part of the county; the share says how much of it. "Weeks" counts the weekly maps in a row with that category or worse somewhere in it.
| County | Category this week | Share in it | In drought (D1–D4) | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcona County | None | 0% | 31 weeks | |
| Alger County | D2 Severe Drought | 65.1% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Allegan County | None | 0% | 4 weeks | |
| Alpena County | None | 0% | 40 weeks | |
| Antrim County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 19.33% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Arenac County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 2.33% | 0% | 9 weeks |
| Baraga County | D2 Severe Drought | 36.12% | 66.78% | 1 week |
| Barry County | None | 0% | 4 weeks | |
| Bay County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 96.09% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Benzie County | None | 0% | 40 weeks | |
| Berrien County | None | 0% | 4 weeks | |
| Branch County | None | 0% | 32 weeks | |
| Calhoun County | None | 0% | 4 weeks | |
| Cass County | None | 0% | 41 weeks | |
| Charlevoix County | D1 Moderate Drought | 16.8% | 16.8% | 2 weeks |
| Cheboygan County | D1 Moderate Drought | 12.6% | 12.6% | 2 weeks |
| Chippewa County | D2 Severe Drought | 61.78% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Clare County | D1 Moderate Drought | 7.87% | 7.87% | 9 weeks |
| Clinton County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 60.93% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Crawford County | None | 0% | 34 weeks | |
| Delta County | D1 Moderate Drought | 100% | 100% | 8 weeks |
| Dickinson County | D3 Extreme Drought | 35.86% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Eaton County | None | 0% | 5 weeks | |
| Emmet County | D1 Moderate Drought | 22.26% | 22.26% | 2 weeks |
| Genesee County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Gladwin County | D1 Moderate Drought | 1.04% | 1.04% | 9 weeks |
| Gogebic County | D4 Exceptional Drought | 6.29% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Grand Traverse County | None | 0% | 34 weeks | |
| Gratiot County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Hillsdale County | None | 0% | 31 weeks | |
| Houghton County | D2 Severe Drought | 17.9% | 34.57% | 1 week |
| Huron County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 99.95% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Ingham County | None | 0% | 8 weeks | |
| Ionia County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 62.93% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Iosco County | None | 0% | 30 weeks | |
| Iron County | D3 Extreme Drought | 24.94% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Isabella County | D1 Moderate Drought | 24.66% | 24.66% | 9 weeks |
| Jackson County | None | 0% | 5 weeks | |
| Kalamazoo County | None | 0% | 4 weeks | |
| Kalkaska County | None | 0% | 34 weeks | |
| Kent County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 20.59% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Keweenaw County | D1 Moderate Drought | 32.7% | 32.7% | 3 weeks |
| Lake County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Lapeer County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Leelanau County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 20.52% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Lenawee County | None | 0% | 28 weeks | |
| Livingston County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 77.76% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Luce County | D2 Severe Drought | 100% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Mackinac County | D2 Severe Drought | 62.81% | 100% | 2 weeks |
| Macomb County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 9 weeks |
| Manistee County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 52.54% | 0% | 9 weeks |
| Marquette County | D2 Severe Drought | 74.74% | 98.9% | 2 weeks |
| Mason County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 9 weeks |
| Mecosta County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Menominee County | D3 Extreme Drought | 26.65% | 100% | 3 weeks |
| Midland County | D1 Moderate Drought | 4.09% | 4.09% | 9 weeks |
| Missaukee County | None | 0% | 31 weeks | |
| Monroe County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 20.58% | 0% | 9 weeks |
| Montcalm County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Montmorency County | None | 0% | 39 weeks | |
| Muskegon County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 31.97% | 0% | 11 weeks |
| Newaygo County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 99.96% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Oakland County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 11 weeks |
| Oceana County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 11 weeks |
| Ogemaw County | None | 0% | 31 weeks | |
| Ontonagon County | D3 Extreme Drought | 38.31% | 98.8% | 1 week |
| Osceola County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 60.91% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Oscoda County | None | 0% | 34 weeks | |
| Otsego County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 14.96% | 0% | 3 weeks |
| Ottawa County | None | 0% | 2 weeks | |
| Presque Isle County | D1 Moderate Drought | 0.51% | 0.51% | 2 weeks |
| Roscommon County | None | 0% | 31 weeks | |
| Saginaw County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Sanilac County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 11 weeks |
| Schoolcraft County | D2 Severe Drought | 83.04% | 100% | 1 week |
| Shiawassee County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 83.94% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| St. Clair County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 9 weeks |
| St. Joseph County | None | 0% | 32 weeks | |
| Tuscola County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 12 weeks |
| Van Buren County | None | 0% | 4 weeks | |
| Washtenaw County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 49.53% | 0% | 9 weeks |
| Wayne County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 100% | 0% | 9 weeks |
| Wexford County | D0 Abnormally Dry | 10.17% | 0% | 9 weeks |
Natural disaster risk in Michigan by county · Drought in every state
The categories
| Category | Name |
|---|---|
| D0 | Abnormally Dry (not drought: going into or coming out of drought) |
| D1 | Moderate Drought |
| D2 | Severe Drought |
| D3 | Extreme Drought |
| D4 | Exceptional Drought |
What each category means on the ground is described on the Drought Monitor's classification page.
How this page reads the Drought Monitor
- The figures are the U.S. Drought Monitor's own statistics (share of area in each category), read from its data service. The categories are theirs, unchanged. This site does not make its own drought assessment.
- The Drought Monitor gives each county a share in each category. A county's category here is the most severe one covering any part of it, with the share it covers. "Weeks" counts the weekly maps in a row, newest first, on which some of the county was at that category or worse.
- A new map is released every Thursday, valid for the Tuesday before. Every figure here carries that valid date. This site reads the new week once, after the Thursday release, and keeps it.
- Counties are matched to the Drought Monitor by their five-digit FIPS code. Connecticut is shown by its nine planning regions, which replaced its eight counties in 2022; the Drought Monitor's county statistics use the same planning regions.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, droughtmonitor.unl.edu · The official map for Michigan · Drought Monitor data tables · drought.gov current conditions · NOAA seasonal drought outlook
Questions
Is Michigan in a drought right now?
On the U.S. Drought Monitor valid 13 October 2026, 27.41% of Michigan is in drought (D1 to D4) and 62.62% is at least abnormally dry (D0 to D4). 18.72% is in D2 Severe Drought or worse.
Which counties in Michigan are in the worst drought?
This week the most severe category in Michigan is D4 Exceptional Drought, in Gogebic County.
How is a county's category chosen on this page?
The U.S. Drought Monitor gives the share of each county in each category. This page names the most severe category covering any part of the county, and always says how much of the county it covers.