IN THE STUDIO, JEN STACEY GULF COAST NEWS. >> WITHOUT CONTINUES AROUND HERE AND JUST SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE AND WORSE. YEAH, WE GOT UPDATE IN THIS MORNING. CONDITIONS ARE JUST SO SO DRY. >> BEAUTIFUL OUT THERE HIM A LOT. AS WE JUST FIX AND YET LOVING THE FIELD. BUT JUST WISHING WE HAD A LITTLE MOISTURE TO HELP WITH THE DROUGHT. YEAH. I MEAN, IT DOESN’T TAKE LONG IF YOU DRIVE AROUND, YOU CAN SEE HOW DRY CONDITIONS REALLY, REALLY ARE. AND WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR WEEKS NOW SINCE HE MOVED INTO DRY SEASON. AND WE’VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND DIFFERENT WAYS TO SORT OF EXPLAIN HOW DRY IT IS. WE CAN SHOW YOU THE DROUGHT MONITOR AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR LAWN NEEDS WATER WILL GO OUTSIDE INTO THAT LATER AFTER WITH YOUR MOISTURE METER, THE MOISTURE. ALL LET’S SHOW YOU WHAT WE THIS MORNING WITH THIS WEEK’S UPDATES. YOU CAN SEE MORE AND MORE COMMUNITIES UPGRADED TO NOW EXTREME DROUGHT. FOR SOME PERSPECTIVE, THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. >> NO COMMUNITIES WERE UNDER EXTREME DROUGHT. WE WERE JUST UNDER MODERATE. SO MANY OF US UNDER SEVERE INLAND PARTS OF COLLIER COUNTY NOW UPGRADED TO EXTREME AND NOW LOOK AT THIS DESOTO. YOU ARE ALREADY UNDER EXTREME, BUT NOW ALMOST THE ENTIRE REGION IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY, INCLUDING BABCOCK RANCH, UPGRADED TO EXTREME DROUGHT THIS MORNING. SO WE ALL NEED THE RAIN AND THE REASON WE REALLY WERE SET UP TO SEE A PARTICULARLY DRY, DRY SEASON IS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE WERE COMING OUT OF 2025. THE 6TH DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD. ALSO A VERY QUIET HURRICANE SEASON WHICH WE WERE THANKFUL FOR. BUT THAT DID ME. NOW WE MISSED OUT ON A LOT OF THAT TROPICAL MOISTURE WE’VE HAD IN YEARS PAST. THERE WERE NO U.S. LANDFALLING HURRICANES LAST SEASON AND THEN THE IMPACT OF THE LA NINA CLIMATE PATTERN THIS WINTER, OF COURSE, WE’RE COMING OUT OF THAT NOW. BUT IT’S WHEN WE HAVE THAT COOLER THAN AVERAGE SEA SERVICE 10TH IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. AND THAT IMPACTS EVEN OUR WEATHER PATTERN LOCALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. FOR THE GULF COAST. IT FAVORS DRIER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS THROUGH OUR WINTER MONTHS. SO LOTS OF INGREDIENTS COMING TOGETHER TO PRODUCE THESE DRY CONDITIONS AND NO END IN SIGHT. EVEN RAIN PROSPECTS LOOKING VERY SLIM MONDAY AS OUR NEXT COLD FRONT. THAT WILL GIVE US AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT MORE RAINFALL. BUT ASIDE FROM STRAY SHOWERS THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, WE’RE LOOKING STILL VERY DRY. MONDAY WILL BE THE NEXT BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN. BRINGING US THE SCATTERED RAIN MONDAY MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT STARTS TO DIG IN AND THEN PULLS AWAY HEADING INTO TUESDAY. THIS WILL ALSO BRING IN SOME DRIER AIR ALL OVER AGAIN. AND THAT’S WHAT’S GOING TO BUMP UP OUR BRUSH FIRE THREAT MANY DAYS NEXT WEEK WITH HELPING US OUT WITH THAT FIRE. DANGER THREAT FOR NOW IS YOU PROBABLY NOTICE IT’S A LITTLE BIT MUGGY YEAR. STILL FAIRLY COMFORTABLE, BUT HUMIDITY CERTAINLY STARTING TO BUILD. WE’RE NOT LOOKING AT SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL TOTALS FROM MONDAY’S FRONT. TRY UNDER A QUARTER OF AN INCH FOR MANY COMMUNITIES. REALLY WILL NEED A LOT MORE THAN THAT TO GET BACK ON TRACK TODAY. SEASONAL TEMPERATURES IN THE 70’S AND ASIDE FROM JUST A STRAY SHOWER LATE THIS AFTERNOON, MANY OF US ARE GOING TO STILL STAY DRY TONIGHT SHOULD BE SEASONAL WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 50’S. THE ONLY WEATHER CONCERN COMES WITH SOME PATCHY FOG. WE COULD SEE. BUT OVERALL THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, LOW END RAIN CHANCES. BEAUTIFUL FOR VALENTINE’S DAY ON SATURDAY, 80 DEGREES LOWS THAT NIGHT ONLY IN THE 60’S. IF YOU HAVE DINNER PLANS AND THEN SUNDAY, SOME STRAY SHOWERS POSSIBLE AGAIN MONDAY. THE BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN. AND THEN WE ARE STILL IN THE LOW 80’S NEXT WEEK WITH MORNINGS BACK DOWN INTO THE 50’S THAT GULF COAST WEATHER. WITHDRAW PERSISTENT ACROSS THE GULF COAST. TRYING TO FIND DIFFERENT WAYS TO COMMUNICATE HOW DRY IT IS. NOW. GULF COAST METEOROLOGIST JASON DUNNING. HE BOUGHT THIS MOISTURE METER TO TEST SOIL MOISTURE. >> SO THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE GOING TO HEAR. OUR STATION IS IN LEE COUNTY. WE’RE UNDER AN EXTREME DROUGHT. SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WELL, YOU JUST STICK THIS IN THE GROUND AND IT SHOWS YOU THAT THINGS ARE PRETTY DRY FOR US HERE TERMS OF MOISTURE CONTENT IN THE SOIL IN LEE COUNTY. LET’S TEST ANOTHER AREA. THAT AREA ACTUALLY HAS SOME SPRINKLERS. AND SO THEY GET A LITTLE BIT MORE IRRIGATION. BUT IF YOU HEAD THIS WAY. THEY DON’T REALLY GET AS MUCH OVER HERE. YES, WE HAD SOME FOG THIS MORNING, BUT THAT DIDN’T BRING ENOUGH MOISTURE TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND SO AS WE STICK THIS IN THE GROUND RIGHT HERE. IT’S STILL JUST AS DRY ACROSS THE STREET. SO THAT DROUGHT IS ONGOING. IT’S ACTUALLY WORSENING ACROSS PARTS OF T
Extreme drought expands to include all Southwest Florida counties
Updated: 12:22 PM EST Feb 12, 2026
More communities have been upgraded to extreme drought on Thursday, with the entire Gulf Coast now in desperate need of rain.For perspective, the Gulf Coast was only under moderate drought at this time last year. Several factors have contributed to the extreme drought. Coming into the dry season, 2025 ranked as our sixth-driest year on record. There were also no U.S. landfalling hurricanes in 2025, which was beneficial to our community, still recovering from numerous storms, but we missed out on tropical moisture. How La Niña impacts droughtFinally, our region has been under the influence of the La Niña climate pattern this winter.La Niña occurs when colder-than-usual sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean trigger a domino effect in weather patterns.For our community, it favors drier-than-usual weather during our winter months. The next chance for scattered rain will come with a cold front pulling through on Monday. Rainfall totals are still under a quarter of an inch for many communities over the next week.The drought is also affecting Cape Coral, where new wells were approved to tackle the water shortage. And in Charlotte County, once-a-week watering restrictions went into effect on Monday. Follow, like and subscribe to Gulf Coast News on social media to share your tips and be part of the conversation with Southwest Florida’s most experienced, trusted weather team.However you watch or scroll, we’re committed to delivering accurate, timely forecasts you can rely on, wherever you are.Follow on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Threads | Bluesky | Nextdoor | XLive Interactive RadarTrack conditions in real time with the Gulf Coast Live Radar.Watch Gulf Coast WeatherFind the latest weather forecast videos, streaming live or on demand, on TV and online.Stream on the GoDownload the free Gulf Coast News app to watch on your phone or tablet.Your Gulf Coast Storm TeamChief meteorologist Allyson RaeMeteorologist Caroline CastoraMeteorologist Jim DickeyMeteorologist Jason DunningMeteorologist Lauren HopeMeteorologist Raphael TavernierMeteorologist Rob DunsMeteorologist Sara BlueDOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest breaking news and weather alerts. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
FORT MYERS, Fla. —
More communities have been upgraded to extreme drought on Thursday, with the entire Gulf Coast now in desperate need of rain.
For perspective, the Gulf Coast was only under moderate drought at this time last year.
Several factors have contributed to the extreme drought. Coming into the dry season, 2025 ranked as our sixth-driest year on record.
There were also no U.S. landfalling hurricanes in 2025, which was beneficial to our community, still recovering from numerous storms, but we missed out on tropical moisture.
How La Niña impacts drought
Finally, our region has been under the influence of the La Niña climate pattern this winter.
La Niña occurs when colder-than-usual sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean trigger a domino effect in weather patterns.
For our community, it favors drier-than-usual weather during our winter months.
Gulf Coast News
Climate Pattern
The next chance for scattered rain will come with a cold front pulling through on Monday.
Rainfall totals are still under a quarter of an inch for many communities over the next week.
The drought is also affecting Cape Coral, where new wells were approved to tackle the water shortage. And in Charlotte County, once-a-week watering restrictions went into effect on Monday.
Follow, like and subscribe to Gulf Coast News on social media to share your tips and be part of the conversation with Southwest Florida’s most experienced, trusted weather team.
However you watch or scroll, we’re committed to delivering accurate, timely forecasts you can rely on, wherever you are.
Follow on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Threads | Bluesky | Nextdoor | X
Live Interactive Radar
Watch Gulf Coast Weather
Stream on the Go
Your Gulf Coast Storm Team
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest breaking news and weather alerts. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.