Drought Continues To Expand Across The Northwest

Washington saw its D-2, or Severe Drought, acreage jump this week from 28% of the state to now 53%.  In addition, the D-3, or Extreme Drought, designation increased to nearly 3% of the state. All of that designation is found in the southeast corner of the state, including Asotin and parts of  Whitman and Garfield counties.

And that D-3 designation continues into Oregon, which is reporting Extreme Drought for the first time this season.  Meanwhile, the amount of Oregon under the D-2 drought designation doubled this week as well from 11% of the state to 22%.

The pattern continues in Idaho, where 42% of the state is under a D-2 designation, up from the 28% reported last week.  And the Extreme Drought, D-3, designation has expanded to 15% of the state, including portions south of Twin Falls.

When it comes to the west as a whole, there wasn’t a lot of change over the past week.  The Severe and Extreme Drought designations increased slightly, while portions of New Mexico and Arizona remain under a D-4 or Exceptional Drought.

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