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

4.2 years in 10

Columbia 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), 2002 (15 wk), 2003 (27 wk), 2005 (48 wk), 2015 (52 wk), 2016 (29 wk), 2021 (36 wk), 2022 (19 wk), 2023 (24 wk), 2024 (21 wk) and 2025 (28 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

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.

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

10th most drought-prone of 39 WA counties; the WA middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Franklin County (4.2 in 10) and Adams 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 (45% of weeks), then Oct (43%) and Nov (41%). Least in Apr (18%). May to September averages 31%.

29 Jan
25 Feb
23 Mar
18 Apr
20 May
25 Jun
29 Jul
37 Aug
45 Sep
43 Oct
41 Nov
40 Dec

The worst year: 2015

2015: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 31.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 13.8% at D2, 4.1% at D3, 20 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 72 weeks, Jun 24, 2025 to Nov 3, 2026.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 28 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.