Weld County drought today
The U.S. Drought Monitor's category for Weld County, Colorado (FIPS 08123), the share of its area in each category, and what it means for water users.
Area by category
| Category | This week | Week before |
|---|---|---|
| No category No drought | 0% | 0% |
| D0 Abnormally dry or worse | 100% | 100% |
| D1 Moderate drought or worse | 80.2% | 80.2% |
| D2 Severe drought or worse | 52.1% | 52.1% |
| D3 Extreme drought or worse | 19.4% | 19.7% |
| D4 Exceptional drought | 1.6% | 1.6% |
Cumulative, as the Monitor reports them: each row includes the rows below it.
What it means for water users
Weld County is in D3 extreme drought: 19.4% of its area is in extreme drought or worse, conditions around the 2nd–5th percentile of the record.
By category alone this week: 19.8% D0, 28.1% D1, 32.7% D2, 17.8% D3 and 1.6% D4. About 2,076 of its 3,985 square miles are in D2 or worse.
Against the map of Sep 22, 2026, the category is unchanged at D3, with the same share in D2 or worse (52.1%).
D2 or worse on the last 4 maps: 52.6% (Sep 8, 2026), 52.5% (Sep 15, 2026), 52.1% (Sep 22, 2026) and 52.1% (Sep 29, 2026).
USDA uses the Monitor to trigger drought disaster designations; the county FSA office confirms what applies.
It is not water administration: calls on its streams depend on streamflow and priority, not on this category.
Where its water is administered
Weld County lies in Division 1, the South Platte basin. Water there is administered by priority: see the basin's active calls and snowpack.
Nearby
Nearest stream gauges: Cache La Poudre River above North 11th Avenue at Greeley (18 mi), Cache La Poudre River above Boxelder Creek near Timnath (33 mi), Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins (36 mi) and South Platte River at Fort Morgan (37 mi).
Nearby counties this week: Morgan County (D1), Adams County (D3, D2+ 49%), Broomfield County (D4, D2+ 100%) and Larimer County (D3, D2+ 100%).