(Washington, D.C.) In the first quarter of 2026, there have already been several significant U.S. weather disasters, including the late January snow and ice storm in the Southeast.
USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey says drought dominates the landscape, and current coverage of 63 percent in the lower 48 states is close to the September 2012 drought. On the flip side, flooding has developed in recent weeks in portions of the Great Lakes States, particularly across Michigan and Wisconsin.
Rippey says severe weather outbreaks have helped sharpen the gradient between drought on the High Plains and wetness farther to the west.
Wildfires have scorched the Plains and the South, while parts of the West face water shortages due to low snowpack and early melting.
Meanwhile, Iowa is one of the states with the most tornado warnings so far this year. That’s according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet at Iowa State University. Four Midwestern states are at the top of the list, including Illinois at number one with 167 National Weather Service tornado warnings since January 1. More than 11 hundred tornado warnings have been issued nationwide this year.
