DENVER, COLORADO — Severe drought across much of the western and central United States is raising concerns about crop losses, depleted water supplies and conditions resembling a smaller version of the 1930s Dust Bowl.
Large portions of Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle were experiencing extreme or exceptional drought in mid-July. About 46% of the contiguous United States was in some level of drought.
AccuWeather founder Joel Myers warned that prolonged dryness could create a “mini Dust Bowl,” particularly if crop yields decline across the Plains. Reduced soybean and other agricultural production could also contribute to higher food prices.
The developing El Niño may bring wetter winter conditions to the Southwest, but experts cautioned that its effects across the Plains are less predictable. Years of accumulated water deficits cannot necessarily be erased by one rainy season, even if storms temporarily improve surface conditions.
NOAA estimates a 97% chance that El Niño will persist through early spring 2027 and an 81% chance it will become very strong during the fall. Strong events typically favor wetter weather across the southern United States and warmer conditions across northern areas, but they do not guarantee drought relief in every region.
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