Drought in Dawson County, MT: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (38 wk), 2003 (37 wk), 2004 (45 wk), 2005 (23 wk), 2006 (24 wk), 2007 (32 wk), 2008 (44 wk), 2017 (30 wk), 2021 (49 wk), 2022 (39 wk), 2023 (19 wk), 2024 (15 wk) and 2025 (31 wk). Not a single drought week in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020.

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 MT

42nd most drought-prone of 56 MT counties; the MT middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Treasure County (5 in 10) and Phillips County (5 in 10). Driest in MT: Glacier County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Garfield County (3.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (45% of weeks), then Oct (40%) and Feb (39%). Least in Jul (21%). May to September averages 26%.

35 Jan
39 Feb
45 Mar
39 Apr
31 May
21 Jun
21 Jul
26 Aug
33 Sep
40 Oct
39 Nov
39 Dec

The worst year: 2021

2021: 49 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 33.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 14.5% at D2, 3.6% at D3, 20 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 72 weeks, Jan 26, 2021 to Jun 7, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 31 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 36 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.