Drought Information Statement for Arkansas
Valid Aug 21th, 2026
Issued By: National Weather Service-WFO Little Rock, AR
Contact Information: nws.littlerock@noaa.gov
This product will be updated Sept. 13th, 2026 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/LZK/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 
Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates.
Over 70% of Arkansas is in drought conditions.
Nearly 40% of the state is in severe drought or greater (D2 or greater).
1

U.S. Drought Monitor

Drought intensity and extent:

D4 (Exceptional Drought): Portions of southeast Arkansas.

D3 (Extreme Drought): Portions of northeast, central, and southeast Arkansas.

D2 (Severe Drought): Portions of northeast, central, and southeast Arkansas.

D1 (Moderate Drought): Portions of northwest, northeast, and south central Arkansas. 

D0: (Abnormally Dry): Portions of the state not in a drought category (D1 or greater).


Recent Change in Drought Intensity

One Week Drought Monitor Class Change.

Drought conditions worsened across various parts of the state.


Precipitation
Most areas of the state were below normal with precipitation during the past 30 days. 


Temperature
Most areas of the state had well above normal temperatures during the past 7 days. 



Agricultural and Wildlife Impacts
Recent dry conditions have led to significant impacts to livestock and agriculture.


Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts
Low streamflow conditions were noted across a number of rivers across the state.  



Fire Hazard Impacts
Fire danger conditions have increased across the state. 



Seven Day Precipitation Forecast
The 7 day precipitation forecast calls for generally less than one inch of rainfall across the state.



Long-Range Outlooks

Above normal temperatures, and below normal precipitation is forecast for state during the rest of the month of August. 


Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Through the late October, most areas of the state are expected to experience drought conditions.