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

4.2 years in 10

Douglas 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), 2003 (17 wk), 2005 (48 wk), 2009 (43 wk), 2014 (51 wk), 2015 (28 wk), 2020 (43 wk), 2021 (39 wk), 2022 (39 wk), 2024 (26 wk) and 2025 (29 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023.

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

Against the rest of WA

7th most drought-prone of 39 WA counties; the WA middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Pend Oreille County (4.6 in 10) and Benton 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 Jul (44% of weeks), then Sep (44%) and Aug (43%). Least in Jan (18%). May to September averages 40%.

18 Jan
21 Feb
29 Mar
27 Apr
30 May
37 Jun
44 Jul
43 Aug
44 Sep
41 Oct
41 Nov
31 Dec

The worst year: 2014

2014: 51 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 33.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 19.1% at D2, 2.1% at D3, 7 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 68 weeks, Apr 20, 2021 to Aug 2, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 29 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 35 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.