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

4.2 years in 10

Benton 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), 2012 (17 wk), 2014 (51 wk), 2015 (51 wk), 2020 (50 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (20 wk), 2023 (19 wk) and 2025 (25 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2024.

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 Sep peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of WA

8th most drought-prone of 39 WA counties; the WA middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Douglas County (4.2 in 10) and Franklin County (4.2 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 Sep (40% of weeks), then Dec (38%) and Nov (38%). Least in Jan (25%). May to September averages 33%.

25 Jan
32 Feb
35 Mar
32 Apr
28 May
28 Jun
31 Jul
36 Aug
40 Sep
33 Oct
38 Nov
38 Dec

The worst year: 2021

2021: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 33% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 16.1% at D2, 4.8% at D3, 21 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 122 weeks, Jan 21, 2020 to May 17, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 25 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 41 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.