Drought in Eagle County, CO: 4.2 years in 10 since 2000

4.2 years in 10

Eagle County, CO: 11 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (47 wk), 2003 (42 wk), 2004 (36 wk), 2012 (40 wk), 2013 (37 wk), 2018 (45 wk), 2019 (15 wk), 2020 (33 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (34 wk) and 2025 (35 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2023 and 2024.

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.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (6 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (3.1 in 10).

Against the rest of CO

56th most drought-prone of 64 CO counties; the CO middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Pitkin County (4.2 in 10) and Morgan County (4.2 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 Jul (42% of weeks), then Jun (41%) and Aug (39%). Least in Dec (25%). May to September averages 38%.

26 Jan
28 Feb
29 Mar
33 Apr
33 May
41 Jun
42 Jul
39 Aug
35 Sep
38 Oct
28 Nov
25 Dec

The worst year: 2021

2021: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 33.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 21.4% at D2, 12.9% at D3, 92 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 119 weeks, May 19, 2020 to Aug 23, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 35 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.