Drought in Grand County, UT: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (46 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (18 wk), 2007 (27 wk), 2012 (39 wk), 2013 (38 wk), 2015 (16 wk), 2018 (52 wk), 2019 (21 wk), 2020 (52 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (21 wk) and 2025 (48 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2016.

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 Apr peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (7 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (5 in 10).

Against the rest of UT

27th most drought-prone of 29 UT counties; the UT middle is 6.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Uintah County (5.8 in 10) and Piute County (5.4 in 10). Driest in UT: Tooele County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Duchesne County (5.4 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (52% of weeks), then May (48%) and Mar (47%). Least in Sep (44%). May to September averages 46%.

44 Jan
47 Feb
47 Mar
52 Apr
48 May
46 Jun
46 Jul
45 Aug
44 Sep
44 Oct
45 Nov
46 Dec

The worst year: 2020

2020: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 46.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 35.8% at D2, 18.3% at D3, 53 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 177 weeks, Oct 8, 2019 to Feb 21, 2023.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 48 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.