Drought in Churchill County, NV: 7.3 years in 10 since 2000

7.3 years in 10

Churchill County, NV: 19 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (30 wk), 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (17 wk), 2007 (46 wk), 2008 (53 wk), 2009 (52 wk), 2010 (23 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (52 wk), 2016 (52 wk), 2020 (45 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (13 wk) and 2025 (29 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2006, 2011, 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 Mar peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of NV

2nd most drought-prone of 17 NV counties; the NV middle is 6.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Nye County (8.1 in 10) and Pershing County (6.9 in 10). Driest in NV: Nye County (8.1 in 10). Least drought: Douglas County (5.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (68% of weeks), then Sep (66%) and Feb (62%). Least in May (57%). May to September averages 61%.

58 Jan
62 Feb
68 Mar
61 Apr
57 May
61 Jun
61 Jul
59 Aug
66 Sep
59 Oct
58 Nov
60 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 60.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 41.5% at D2, 24.6% at D3, 141 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 262 weeks, Jan 3, 2012 to Jan 3, 2017.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 29 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 8.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 20 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.