Drought in Adams County, WA: 4.2 years in 10 since 2000

4.2 years in 10

Adams County, WA: 11 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (46 wk), 2003 (23 wk), 2005 (48 wk), 2014 (51 wk), 2015 (32 wk), 2020 (13 wk), 2021 (38 wk), 2022 (32 wk), 2023 (19 wk), 2024 (16 wk) and 2025 (20 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Plan for drought as normal: shrink the lawn, go drip and natives

Drought is the normal state of things here. Most of the yard goes to natives and gravel on drip; any grass that stays is a small, tough patch.

If you are replacing turf, plant natives in fall so roots set before the Oct peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (6 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (3.1 in 10).

Against the rest of WA

11th most drought-prone of 39 WA counties; the WA middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Columbia County (4.2 in 10) and Ferry County (3.8 in 10). Driest in WA: Grant County (5 in 10). Least drought: Jefferson County (1.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (44% of weeks), then Nov (42%) and Sep (41%). Least in Jun (16%). May to September averages 28%.

20 Jan
18 Feb
17 Mar
17 Apr
23 May
16 Jun
27 Jul
36 Aug
41 Sep
44 Oct
42 Nov
27 Dec

The worst year: 2014

2014: 51 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 27.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 12% at D2, 3.3% at D3, 17 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 60 weeks, Apr 13, 2021 to May 31, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 20 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 17 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.