Drought in Cheyenne County, CO: 6.5 years in 10 since 2000

6.5 years in 10

Cheyenne County, CO: 17 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (40 wk), 2003 (44 wk), 2004 (31 wk), 2006 (28 wk), 2008 (27 wk), 2011 (25 wk), 2012 (29 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (15 wk), 2017 (15 wk), 2018 (26 wk), 2020 (38 wk), 2021 (25 wk), 2022 (38 wk), 2023 (17 wk) and 2024 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2019 and 2025.

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

Against the rest of CO

7th most drought-prone of 64 CO counties; the CO middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Rio Grande County (6.5 in 10) and Baca County (6.2 in 10). Driest in CO: Otero County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Grand County (3.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (54% of weeks), then May (48%) and Mar (45%). Least in Oct (28%). May to September averages 39%.

39 Jan
40 Feb
45 Mar
54 Apr
48 May
42 Jun
40 Jul
32 Aug
35 Sep
28 Oct
37 Nov
39 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 39.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 23.7% at D2, 12.1% at D3, 60 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 149 weeks, Jun 12, 2012 to Apr 14, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 25 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.