News

By Emily Case-Buskirk, NDMC Communications Specialist

A reservoir in Sheridan County was completely dry for the first time since 2012. This update, sent through the citizen science platform Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) on April 18, is one of many indicators that conditions are dire in western Nebraska this spring.  

Following an exceptionally warm and dry winter, an interdisciplinary University of Nebraska group hosted drought workshops in North Platte and Scottsbluff in late April. The UNL team was made up of members representing the Nebraska State Climate Office (NSCO), Nebraska Extension and the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC). 

The presentations and discussions helped farmers and ranchers be more aware of climate conditions, drought management tools and resources as they prepare for the upcoming growing season, said Deb Bathke, Nebraska state climatologist. 

“We wanted to help people understand the drought conditions that developed in Nebraska over the winter and spring, and what they can do to prepare for the summer,” she said. 

Bathke talked about the factors that caused drought conditions to deteriorate over the winter, setting the stage for an incredibly dry spring. Eric Hunt, extension educator of agricultural meteorology and climate resilience, presented current conditions and climate outlooks in Nebraska. 

• Since Oct. 1, 2025, Nebraska has received 25-50% of its normal precipitation amounts for winter. Bordering areas of northeast, southwest, south and northwest Nebraska received closer to their normal amounts, but still below normal. The state saw a warmer-than-normal winter, especially in western Nebraska, where temperatures averaged 6 to 8 degrees above normal. 
• From Sept. 30, 2025, to March 31, 2026, the percentage of Nebraska that is covered in moderate drought or worse increased from 9.08% to 100%. This is the largest increase of drought conditions that Nebraska has seen since October 1 (the start of the water year), since the USDM’s inception in 2000. 
• As of the April 21, 2026, U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), 88.34% of Nebraska is in drought. Conditions are more severe in central and western parts of the state, with most of these areas in severe to extreme drought.

A dry winter and spring, combined with warm and windy weather and very dry soils, are some of the factors that contributed to a flash drought in Nebraska this spring, Bathke said. 

While drought isn't uncommon in Nebraska, it’s unique that we're seeing this extent of drought conditions so early in the year, Hunt said. Warmer and drier conditions are going to be more likely in future years with our warming planet, he added. 

This year’s dry conditions led to some of the worst wildfires in the state’s history, including the Morrill Fire, which is the largest Nebraska fire on record at over 640,000 acres. The number of acres burned in Nebraska this year so far (900,000) is double the previous record held in 2012. Wildfires continued to be an issue in Nebraska in April.  

It remains to be seen whether the situation will improve over the next few months, although it’s not impossible, Bathke said. The drought conditions could turn around if western Nebraska gets several widespread soaking rains, consistent precipitation through May and June, cooler and less windy weather and follow-up rains to improve soil moisture. 

The Morrill Fire burned over 640,000 acres in Nebraska in March 2026, including land near Lewellen, shown here on April 20, 2026.

 

Drought monitoring and decision-making tools 

NDMC staff Curtis Riganti and Tonya Haigh shared resources for drought monitoring, planning and management. 

Riganti, NDMC climatologist and USDM author, provided information about how the USDM is made. The USDM is a weekly map showing the location and severity of drought across the U.S. and territories, using six classifications to designate the extent of abnormal dryness or drought. It is hosted by the NDMC and produced through a partnership between the NDMC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA. 

There are 11 USDM authors from across the partner organizations. Each week, one of the authors uses dozens of indicators from multiple data sources to update drought levels across the U.S. and territories. A network of drought experts from each of the 50 states and Puerto Rico also provide input on local conditions. 

Riganti also shared other drought monitoring tools including the Composite Drought Indicators and the Vegetation Drought Response Index. These tools incorporate data on different factors, like vegetation stress, that contribute to drought. 

Haigh, NDMC social scientist, shared on-the-ground decision-making tools for producers. NDMC resources include Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch (ranchdrought.unl.edu), a planning tool for ranchers, and CMOR, a crowdsourcing system for providing drought-related observations and photos that is referenced by USDM authors (go.unl.edu/cmor_drought).  

Grass-Cast is another important tool that can help ranchers manage forage production expectations. Grass-Cast combines 36 years of historical data on weather and vegetation growth with seasonal precipitation forecasts to predict rangeland productivity throughout the growing season.  

Producers can use these resources to answer tough questions like stocking rate and when to make key decisions on an operation. 

The Major Land Resource Area map, shown here, is among the resources available on the updated Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch website.

 

Drought discussions and takeaways 

There were about 16 attendees at each workshop, which provided ample space for in-depth discussions.  

Charlene Lukesh, a farmer and rancher in the Nebraska Panhandle, attended the Scottsbluff workshops. She has been a producer since 2009. 

“It seems like we’ve had the dry stuff before. I don’t know if it’s been this dry,” she said.  

Two years ago, a wildfire burned one of her pastures and part of another. So far this year, her operation has not been affected by fires. 

“After it burnt there was no rain. I don’t even think it came back enough for us to use last year,” she said. “With no extra moisture, you still don’t have the recovery you’d like to have.”  

During each meeting, extension educators and workshop presenters fielded questions and concerns from attendees. How long does it take for a pasture to recover from a wildfire? What is forage availability going to be like this summer? What is a good year to reseed? 

Randy Saner, an extension educator at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center, helped organize the North Platte event. He said one benefit of the workshop was bringing together UNL personnel with local producers and agricultural economics professionals. 

Saner, who also owns cattle north of North Platte, said it was helpful learning about resources like Grass-Cast. 

Gary Stone, an extension water and crops educator at the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center, attended the Scottsbluff workshop. The key takeaways for him were learning about the Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch website and more in-depth detail on the USDM process. 

“I had a basic understanding of how the drought monitor map is produced each week, and the information presented helped me to understand the process much better,” he said. 

Presenters also shared ways that anyone can provide information on their local drought and weather conditions, including CMOR and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). This is a network of over 27,000 volunteers who provide precipitation data that is used by USDM authors, meteorologists and other professionals.  

For those who live in areas that don’t have as many weather stations, like Nebraska Panhandle residents, CoCoRaHS can help verify data and fill in the gaps.  

Attendees discuss drought conditions and questions during a workshop held on April 21, 2026, at the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research & Extension Center in Scottsbluff.