The U.S. Drought Monitor map released September 24, 2026, with data valid through September 22, shows D4 exceptional drought concentrated in northern Texas, western and southern Oklahoma, parts of Arkansas, central Colorado, western Nebraska, and northern North Carolina. Persistent heat and below-normal precipitation across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley drove flash drought intensification and category degradations over the past week, while monsoonal moisture brought localized relief and minor improvements in the Four Corners region. Authoritative inputs from NOAA, USDA, and NASA soil moisture data underscore the role of record-warm June–August 2026 temperatures and multi-month precipitation deficits in sustaining these conditions. The next USDM update, due September 30–October 1, will incorporate any additional rainfall from forecast nor’easters or tropical remnants that could alter D4 boundaries in affected states.