Drought in Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK: 0.4 years in 10 since 2000
0.4 years in 10
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK: 1 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. Less drought-prone than most US counties.
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 8
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 6
- 0
- 0
- 22
- 0
- 10
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 3
- 0
- 1
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 0
20002025
Drought years: 2013 (22 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
A regular lawn is fine here; plan for the odd dry year
Real droughts are rare here. A smart controller that skips watering after rain covers the odd dry year.
You can keep a regular lawn. Worth doing: a rain-sensing or smart controller, and deeper, less frequent watering if Jul turns dry.
Against the rest of AK
6th most drought-prone of 30 AK counties; the AK middle is 0 in 10. Closest on the list: Southeast Fairbanks Census Area (0.8 in 10) and Juneau City and Borough (0.4 in 10). Driest in AK: Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area (0.8 in 10). Least drought: Northwest Arctic Borough (0 in 10).
When in the year it hits
Most often in Jul (13% of weeks), then Aug (11%) and Jun (6%). Least in Dec (0%). May to September averages 7%.
- 0 Jan
- 0 Feb
- 0 Mar
- 0 Apr
- 1 May
- 6 Jun
- 13 Jul
- 11 Aug
- 4 Sep
- 4 Oct
- 4 Nov
- 0 Dec
The worst year: 2013
2013: 22 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 3.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 0.6% at D2, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 22 weeks, Jul 2, 2013 to Nov 26, 2013.
Lately
Last drought year: 2013, 22 weeks. 2016-2025: 0 in 10, against 0.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 0 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.
Further reading
Fairbanks North Star Borough lands on the plan covered in keeping a regular lawn. Its worst year, 2013, was not one of the big national drought years; see the worst years since 2000. How each of Fairbanks North Star Borough's 1,401 weeks was judged: how drought is counted.