Map Areas | U.S. Drought Monitor

Common Map Areas

These areas are all mapped weekly as part of the U.S. Drought Monitor production process.

National

These areas cover all or the majority of the Unites States. Typically the options are the Total U.S. including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, or just the continental U.S. (CONUS).

Climate Regions

To serve the nation with regionally tailored climate information, the National Centers for Environmental Information divides the country into six regions, each served by a regional climate center. To learn more about the regional climate centers, visit the National Centers for Environmental Information.

States

Choose from one of the fifty U.S. states or Puerto Rico or the District of Columbia.

2-digit Hydrologic Units (HUCs)

Select one of the 2-digit hydrologic units that cover the continental U.S. To learn more about hydrologic units, visit the United States Geologic Survey website.

Other Regions

Several regions are mapped as part of current research projects and those maps are available. The regions:

Four Corners – a combination of the Navajo Nation and Hopi lands located in the Four Corners region of the U.S.
Four Corners (States) – the traditional four corners states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah)
Hopi – the Hopi lands located in Arizona
Klamath River Basin – the Klamath River Basin located along the California/Oregon border
Navajo – the Navajo lands located in the Four Corners region of the southwestern U.S.
North Central – a region in the North Central U.S. consisting of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio
NWS Central Region – The Central Region of the National Weather Service consisting of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio
Southern Plains – A region in the southern U.S. consisting of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Louisiana
Southwest – A region in the southwestern U.S. consisting of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico
Wind River – The Wind River Indian Reservation located in Wyoming
Wind River and Surrounding Area – The Wind River Indian Reservation and surrounding river basins located in Wyoming

Climate Hubs

The United States department of Agriculture (USDA) established Climate Hubs across the U.S. in 2014. To learn more visit the USDA Climate Hubs website.

Regional Drought Early Warning Systems

The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) has established several Regional Drought Early Warning Systems (RDEWS) across the U.S. For more information, visit the NIDIS website.

Other Map Areas

There are currently other areas for which statistics are calculated, but are not mapped on a regular basis. These areas can be mapped by using the Custom Map Request form.

Climate Divisions

The U.S. has been divided into 344 climate divisions which are mainly based upon county boundaries. To learn more, visit the National Centers for Environmental Information website.

Counties

Maps can be requested for any of the counties in the fifty U.S. states and Puerto Rico.

FEMA Regions

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) divides the country into regions. Visit the FEMA website to learn more.

4-digit, 6-digit and 8-digit Hydrologic Units (HUCs)

These are smaller divisions of the 2-digit hydrologic units. To learn more about hydrologic units, visit the United States Geologic Survey website.

NWS Regions

The National Weather Service (NWS) has divided the U.S. into six regions. For more information visit the NWS website.

NWS Weather Forecast Offices

The National Weather Service (NWS) has divided each of its regions into forecast offices by county. For more information visit the NWS website.

River Forecast Centers

There are 13 River Forecast Centers across the U.S. which are managed by the National Weather Service (NWS). For more information visit the NWS website.

Urban Areas

Statistics are calculated for a number of larger urban areas across the U.S.

USACE Districts/Divisions

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has divided the U.S. into a number of divisions. Each division is divided into smaller districts. For more information see the USACE website.