JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The updated drought monitor is released on Thursday and over the past few months there’s been little change. Until this week.
This is the drought monitor from week of June 2, 2026.
And this is from June 9, 2026. Bigger and better difference.
Both Southeast Georgia and Northeast Florida are showing improvements from extreme (red) to severe (orange) levels.
As of June 10, Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) has only recorded 0.18 inches of rainfall. Normal for June is 2.24 inches. However, in May 2026, JAX recorded 8.09 inches compared to an average of 3.42 inches, and that amount nearly makes up for the lack of winter rainfall.
But, we’ll take what we can get since JAX remains approximately 15 inches in deficit. Total rainfall for 2025 was 42.34 inches; the average is 53.40 inches; therefore, deficit 11.06 inches in 2025.
Since January 1, 2026, JAX has recorded 12.63 inches; the average by May 31 is 15.78 inches; therefore, the deficit for 2026 is approximately 3.15 inches.
Water conservation remains a top priority in our region even with the additional rainfall. Our summerlike weather pattern is kicking into gear with high temperatures and sea breezes bringing back showers and thunderstorms almost daily as we approach the first day of summer (June 21).
Who determines the drought monitor?
The weekly updates are generated from the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. According to their website: The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced through a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Drought classifications
The Drought Monitor summary map identifies general areas of drought and labels them by intensity. D1 is the least intense level and D4 the most intense. Drought is defined as a moisture deficit bad enough to have social, environmental or economic effects.
D0 areas are not in drought, but are experiencing abnormally dry conditions that could turn into drought or are recovering from drought but are not yet back to normal.
We generally include a description on the map of what the primary physical effects are for short- and long-term drought.
- S = Short-term, typically less than 6 months (agriculture, grasslands)
- L = Long-term, typically more than 6 months (hydrology, ecology)
- SL = Area contains both short- and long-term impacts