Southern Plains Face Record September Heat and Growing Drought

Southern Plains drought grew worse after a record-hot September, according to a NOAA and National Integrated Drought Information System update published on October 22. September 2026 was the warmest September across the Southern Plains in the 132-year record, averaging 8.8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal for the region as a whole. Oklahoma was 9.7 degrees above normal, 3.1 degrees higher than any prior September on record.

Drought in the Southern Plains affects far more than temperature records. Hot, dry weather dries out soil, stresses crops and pasture, lowers stream flows and reservoir levels, and increases the risk of wildfire. Farmers may face lower yields, ranchers may need to buy feed or reduce herds, and towns may need to conserve water.

How Southern Plains drought affects farms and towns

Southern Plains drought affects daily life in practical ways that are easy to overlook until water runs short. Crops need water at key stages of growth, and heat can shorten those stages, reducing grain fill and forage. Livestock need shade, water and feed, and when pasture dries out, the cost of keeping animals rises. Rivers and reservoirs that supply towns and industry can fall, and groundwater pumping can increase, lowering water tables that take years to recover.

The outlook offers some hope. El Nino conditions in the tropical Pacific are strengthening, and forecasters expect a strong to very strong event through early 2027, which often brings wetter weather to the southern United States. That does not guarantee rain in every county, and it does not erase a drought in a single storm. It does tilt the odds toward more precipitation in the months ahead. Readers can follow local drought maps and weather forecasts to plan watering, planting and travel during hot and dry spells in the region. Farmers, ranchers and town leaders can share local water data and plan together for the next dry spell.

Source: KarmActive