Drought

Stage 1 fire restrictions began in the Santa Fe National Forest on May 4 due to the elevated fire risk. The restrictions will remain in effect through September 30. Under stage 1 fire restrictions, it was prohibited to build, maintain, use a fire, including charcoal and briquettes outside of a designated fire ring or grill provided by the Forest Service in a developed recreational area. New Mexico Fire Information (Santa Fe), April 29, 2025

Flower and plant sales were slower than usual at a nursery and garden center in Midland, according to the owner. People were reluctant to plant much while dry conditions persisted. Plants at the garden center also needed more watering than usual. One positive point to the dry weather was that people were purchasing more outdoor furniture. WNEM-TV CBS 5 Saginaw (Mich.), April 29, 2025

Douglas water users were alerted to the potential for water restrictions due to the current drought conditions. Area snowpack was below average, and the forecast for rain was not optimistic. The city’s groundwater resources rely on winter snowmelt and spring rain to replenish groundwater supplies. The City of Douglas Parks Department was aiming for a 30% reduction in irrigation for the city parks. The city was striving to acquire more water rights and bolster the water supply for the City of Douglas. Douglas Budget (Wyo.), April 29, 2025

An Iron County ranch ran low on water and eventually had dry ponds. Cattle had to be moved to high elevation summer pastures one month early as grazing ran short, and plenty of neighbors were doing the same. Hopefully, the summer pastures will have adequate feed and water for the cattle, but livestock may need to be removed from the summer pastures early and fed hay. Spring streamflows in southwest Utah were expected to be less than 30% of average. Kane County producers were also hauling water and selling older cows because there wasn’t enough grass, according to an agricultural agent with Utah State University. Farmers were opting to be very frugal with water. KUER-FM 90.1 (Salt Lake City, Utah), April 28, 2025

Easton has a burn ban in effect until further notice due to drought. WFMZ 69 News Online (Allentown, Pa.), April 29, 2025

Strong winds swept up dust from the Southwest and transported it, with the dust coming down mixed with the rain from Michigan to Maine, resulting in dirty rain. WGME FOX 23 (Portland, Maine), April 22, 2025

All boat ramps on Lake Travis, except a public one, were closed due to the low water level as the lake was about 43% full, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority. Boaters were cautioned to beware of submerged objects like trees and rocks. The region was in a stage 2 drought response as the combined storage of both Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan were at 48%. Community Impact (Austin, Texas), April 24, 2025

The taste and smell of tap water in Victoria has changed as the city drew more water from city reservoirs and less from the Guadalupe River. The water treatment process was being adjusted to deal with the concerns about taste and odor. Crossroads Today (Victoria, Texas), April 28, 2025

Kerrville remained in Stage 3 water restrictions as the Guadalupe River was flowing at just 22 cubic feet per second (cfs), compared to the normal of 90 cfs for this time of year. The region has been in drought for three straight years, allowing the dryness to intensify. The public was urged not to replant grass or replace any vegetation this year to conserve water. Spectrum News 1 - Austin (Texas), April 17, 2025

SandFest, an event where participants use beach sand to create impressive sculptures, will be taking place in Port Aransas the last weekend in April. Due to water restrictions, an alternate water source, pond water from a private well, will be used rather than city water. KIII TV (Corpus Christi, Texas), April 23, 2025

A burn ban was in effect at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, as well as the rest of Orange County, due to drought, above normal temperatures and gusty winds. Open flames were prohibited. Inside the Magic (Orlando, Fla.), April 22, 2025

The Jones Road Wildfire began in Ocean County on Tuesday, April 22. The blaze quickly engulfed 12,000 acres, caused the Garden State Parkway to be closed when the fire jumped the roadway, and led to the evacuation of 5,000 people. Drought, strong winds and warm weather contributed to the fire. ABC News, April 23, 2025

The East Brunswick Office of Emergency Management declared a drought in the township on Wednesday, April 23. Many water supplies for the community remained below normal levels. The aim of a drought warning was to conserve and safeguard available water supplies in an effort to prevent a more serious water shortage in the future. East Brunswick, NJ Patch, April 23, 2025

A diminished wildflower bloom across Texas, including the Hill Country, has resulted from ongoing drought conditions. A couple of local photographers who typically do bluebonnet photo sessions have had to cancel those plans and were hoping for improved rainfall in coming months to encourage the plants to grow and bloom. The University Star (San Marcos, Texas), April 22, 2025

New Jersey firefighters have been busy since the start of the year as there have been 662 wildfires that blackened 16,572 acres. At this time in 2024, there had been 310 fires that charred 315 acres. ABC News, April 23, 2025 New Jersey’s wildfire season got off to an early start, although it typically begins in March. Already, 215 wildfires have burned 514 acres, compared to 69 wildfires that charred 22 acres by this time in 2024. The Philadelphia Inquirer (Pa.), March 4, 2025

The presence of drought during Minnesota’s fire season has increased the fire danger. Minnesota’s DNR wildfire safety specialist warned the public to be alert and cautious with anything that can cause a spark. Northern News Now (Duluth, Minn.), April 18, 2025

Kansas wheat has not received much rain in April and was clearly drought-stressed. In western Kansas from Colby to Garden City to Tribune, the wheat is drought-stressed with yellow leaves at the bottom of the stems. “…, at this stage, the wheat plant has already set the total potential kernels that will develop in the wheat head. Any stress from here until harvest will drop that number down, although the impact of the current dry weather and temperature swings will not be realized until the plant is more fully developed.” Dodge City Daily Globe (Kan.), April 21, 2025

Wisconsin has had 526 wildfires that have burned more than 2,000 acres so far in April, which is twice the usual numbers for April. Northern News Now (Duluth, Minn.), April 18, 2025 Wisconsin had a record number of fires in January and February due to the lack of snow. Through April 14, the state has had more than 470 fires, double the average for this time of year. More than 1,900 acres have already burned. Debris-burning has caused almost half of all fires so far this year. Urban Milwaukee (Wis.), April 14, 2025 From the start of 2025 through March 26, Wisconsin has had about 273 wildfires that have charred about 1,593 acres, according to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wildfires Dashboards. Wildfire activity is significantly above the five- and 10-year trends. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wis.), March 26, 2025

Warm, dry weather allowed a northeast Kansas farmer to get corn in the ground. Brownfield Ag Network (Jefferson City, Mo.), April 21, 2025

Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order Monday, April 21, aiming to bolster Utah’s wildfire preparedness and coordination ahead of the anticipated fire season. KSL Newsradio (Salt Lake City, Utah), April 21, 2025