Drought Information Statement for Arkansas
Valid Sept 3, 2026
Issued By: National Weather Service-WFO Little Rock, AR
Contact Information: nws.littlerock@noaa.gov
This product will be updated Sep 24, 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.
Most of Arkansas is in drought conditions.
Overall half of the state is in severe drought or greater (D2 or greater).

U.S. Drought Monitor

Drought intensity and extent:

D4 (Exceptional Drought): Portions of southeast Arkansas.

D3 (Extreme Drought): Widely scattered areas of the state. 

D2 (Severe Drought): Scattered areas of the state.

D1 (Moderate Drought): Many areas of the state not classified as a higher category.

D0: (Abnormally Dry): The rest of the state not in a classification of drought (D1 or greater).


Recent Change in Drought Intensity

Precipitation
A majority of the state was below normal with precipitation during the past 30 days. 

Temperature
Temperatures were above normal during the past 7 days. 

Summary of Impacts

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


Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts
Below normal to low streamflow conditions were noted across at several rivers across the state.  



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


Seven Day Precipitation Forecast
The seven day precipitation forecast calls for generally less than one tenth of an inch of rainfall or less.
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Rapid Onset Drought Outlook
Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook.


Long-Range Outlooks
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Above normal temperatures, are forecast for September. Below normal is precipitation expected across the northern half of Arkansas.


Drought Outlook

Through late November, most areas of the state are expected to experience drought conditions.