Drought in Florence County, WI: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Florence County, WI: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2007 (42 wk), 2008 (26 wk), 2009 (46 wk), 2010 (37 wk), 2013 (15 wk), 2023 (13 wk), 2024 (33 wk) and 2025 (18 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

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 Dec, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of WI

21st most drought-prone of 72 WI counties; the WI middle is 2.7 in 10. Closest on the list: Juneau County (3.5 in 10) and Vilas County (3.1 in 10). Driest in WI: Barron County (4.6 in 10). Least drought: Fond du Lac County (0.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Dec (34% of weeks), then Jan (31%) and Feb (28%). Least in May (9%). May to September averages 15%.

31 Jan
28 Feb
22 Mar
13 Apr
9 May
10 Jun
16 Jul
19 Aug
22 Sep
23 Oct
26 Nov
34 Dec

The worst year: 2009

2009: 46 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 21.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 6.9% at D2, 0.8% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 64 weeks, Jun 30, 2009 to Sep 14, 2010.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 18 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 14 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.