Drought in Delta County, MI: 2.3 years in 10 since 2000

2.3 years in 10

Delta County, MI: 6 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2005 (14 wk), 2007 (20 wk), 2009 (14 wk), 2010 (14 wk), 2022 (13 wk) and 2024 (17 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Nov, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of MI

14th most drought-prone of 83 MI counties; the MI middle is 1.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Jackson County (2.3 in 10) and Mackinac County (2.3 in 10). Driest in MI: Gogebic County (3.5 in 10). Least drought: Newaygo County (0.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (15% of weeks), then Dec (14%) and Oct (13%). Least in Apr (4%). May to September averages 9%.

8 Jan
9 Feb
8 Mar
4 Apr
6 May
10 Jun
7 Jul
11 Aug
13 Sep
13 Oct
15 Nov
14 Dec

The worst year: 2007

2007: 20 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 9.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 2.1% at D2, 0.3% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 22 weeks, Nov 2, 2021 to Mar 29, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 17 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 2.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 5 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.