Drought in Gooding County, ID: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

Gooding County, ID: 15 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (14 wk), 2001 (46 wk), 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (44 wk), 2007 (25 wk), 2008 (44 wk), 2012 (19 wk), 2013 (32 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (52 wk), 2021 (33 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2025 (27 wk). Not a single drought week in 2006, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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.

Against the rest of ID

18th most drought-prone of 44 ID counties; the ID middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Power County (6.2 in 10) and Minidoka County (5.8 in 10). Driest in ID: Blaine County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Kootenai County (4.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (62% of weeks), then Aug (58%) and Oct (57%). Least in Apr (34%). May to September averages 51%.

43 Jan
47 Feb
42 Mar
34 Apr
34 May
45 Jun
54 Jul
58 Aug
62 Sep
57 Oct
55 Nov
53 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 48.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 28.8% at D2, 14.3% at D3, 12 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 247 weeks, Feb 13, 2001 to Nov 1, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 27 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 7.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.