Drought in Chisago County, MN: 3.8 years in 10 since 2000

3.8 years in 10

Chisago County, MN: 10 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2003 (21 wk), 2004 (18 wk), 2007 (22 wk), 2009 (32 wk), 2010 (19 wk), 2012 (31 wk), 2013 (38 wk), 2021 (28 wk), 2022 (26 wk) and 2023 (20 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 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 Sep peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of MN

29th most drought-prone of 87 MN counties; the MN middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Crow Wing County (3.8 in 10) and Wright County (3.8 in 10). Driest in MN: Wadena County (5 in 10). Least drought: Pennington County (1.9 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (29% of weeks), then Oct (28%) and Dec (27%). Least in May (8%). May to September averages 18%.

24 Jan
25 Feb
27 Mar
18 Apr
8 May
10 Jun
18 Jul
26 Aug
29 Sep
28 Oct
24 Nov
27 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 38 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 22.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 6.3% at D2, 0.4% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 51 weeks, May 26, 2009 to May 11, 2010.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 20 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 15 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.