Drought in Gilliam County, OR: 4.6 years in 10 since 2000

4.6 years in 10

Gilliam County, OR: 12 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (46 wk), 2002 (31 wk), 2003 (27 wk), 2005 (48 wk), 2014 (51 wk), 2015 (52 wk), 2016 (29 wk), 2018 (27 wk), 2020 (50 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (23 wk) and 2023 (43 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

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 Sep 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 (3.8 in 10).

Against the rest of OR

17th most drought-prone of 36 OR counties; the OR middle is 4.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Jackson County (4.6 in 10) and Lane County (4.6 in 10). Driest in OR: Lake County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Clatsop County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (43% of weeks), then Aug (43%) and Jul (38%). Least in Jan (27%). May to September averages 38%.

27 Jan
35 Feb
36 Mar
32 Apr
32 May
36 Jun
38 Jul
43 Aug
43 Sep
38 Oct
38 Nov
37 Dec

The worst year: 2021

2021: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 36.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 17.1% at D2, 6.7% at D3, 42 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 125 weeks, Jan 21, 2020 to Jun 7, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 43 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 0 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.