The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is released weekly to indicate what areas throughout the United States are experiencing some level of the five-category drought. The USDM levels range from the lower end of Abnormally Dry to the highest level of drought, Exceptional Drought. During the recent five-year drought, which ended with the record-setting winter of 2016-17, Californians were faced with water shortages and much of the state ranked in the Extreme and Exceptional categories.