Drought Information Statement for Kansas 
Valid August 27, 2026
Issued By: WFO Wichita
Contact Information: w-ict.webmaster@noaa.gov 
This product will be updated as drought conditions warrant.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ICT/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 
Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates.
Above average temperatures and below average precipitation has caused drought to creep back into Kansas the past 4 to 8 weeks.

Kansas Drought Monitor (as of August 18)
Drought intensity and Extent

D4 (Exceptional Drought): None

D3 (Extreme Drought): None

D2 (Severe Drought): Small pockets of the western half of Kansas.

D1 (Moderate Drought): Portions of western, central, and southern Kansas

D0: (Abnormally Dry): Much of Kansas except the northeast quarter

4-Week Drought Change
Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change

Drought Worsened: 1 to 3 categories across portions of western, central, and southern Kansas

Drought Improved: 1 category for small areas of central, northern and western Kansas
Link to Drought Monitor Change Maps

8-Week Drought Change
Eight Week Drought Monitor Class Change

Drought Worsened: 1 to 2 categories for portions of central and southern Kansas

Drought Improved: 1 to 3 categories over portions of mainly western Kansas

Precipitation Past 30 Days
Precipitation the past 30 days has been well below average over mainly the southern half of Kansas, with near to above average precipitation across generally the northern half of Kansas.

Precipitation Past 90 Days
Precipitation the past 90 days has been mostly near to above average across Kansas

Summary of Drought Impacts

Hydrologic Impacts 
There are no known impacts at this time.

Agricultural Impacts
Latest Kansas agricultural and crop conditions per the USDA.

Fire Hazard Impacts
There are no known impacts at this time.

Other Impacts
There are no known impacts at this time.

Mitigation Actions
Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information.

Agricultural Impacts (Soil Moisture Percentile and Change)
Soil moisture is near to below average across much of Kansas, with small pockets of above average soil moisture over northwest Kansas. Hot and dry weather has caused soil moisture to decrease quite a bit over mainly the eastern half of Kansas the past 30 days.

Fire Hazard Impacts through October
Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center.
The risk for significant wildland fire potential across Kansas is near average through October.

September Precipitation and Temperature Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
There is a 33 to 40 percent chance for above average precipitation across generally the northeast half of Kansas in September. There is a 33 to 50 percent chance for above average temperatures across generally the southwest half of Kansas in September

Precipitation and Temperature Outlook through November
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
There is a 33 to 40 percent chance for above average precipitation across generally the western half of Kansas through November. There is a 33 to 40 percent chance for above average temperatures statewide through November.

Drought Outlook Through November
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage

Through November, drought persistence is expected over portions of central and southeast Kansas, with drought improvement or removal possible over portions of the western half of Kansas.

Feedback and Contact
For feedback, comments, or questions specific to this Drought Information Statement please reach out to: nws.wichita@noaa.gov