Drought in Costilla County, CO: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

Costilla County, CO: 14 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (47 wk), 2006 (50 wk), 2011 (52 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (42 wk), 2018 (52 wk), 2019 (27 wk), 2020 (52 wk), 2021 (29 wk), 2022 (30 wk), 2023 (26 wk) and 2024 (14 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

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

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (7 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (4.4 in 10).

Against the rest of CO

22nd most drought-prone of 64 CO counties; the CO middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Rio Blanco County (5.4 in 10) and Dolores County (5.4 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 Feb (51% of weeks), then Mar (50%) and Jan (50%). Least in Jul (38%). May to September averages 41%.

50 Jan
51 Feb
50 Mar
48 Apr
43 May
40 Jun
38 Jul
43 Aug
41 Sep
43 Oct
42 Nov
46 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 44.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 30% at D2, 16.9% at D3, 116 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 149 weeks, Dec 14, 2010 to Oct 15, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 14 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 33 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.