Drought in Gunnison County, CO: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

Gunnison County, CO: 13 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), 2006 (14 wk), 2012 (40 wk), 2013 (38 wk), 2015 (16 wk), 2018 (52 wk), 2019 (24 wk), 2020 (52 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (34 wk) and 2025 (33 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2024.

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

Against the rest of CO

40th most drought-prone of 64 CO counties; the CO middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Garfield County (5 in 10) and Phillips County (5 in 10). Driest in CO: Otero County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Grand County (3.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Jun (46% of weeks), then Jul (46%) and Aug (45%). Least in Jan (33%). May to September averages 44%.

33 Jan
37 Feb
40 Mar
41 Apr
41 May
46 Jun
46 Jul
45 Aug
41 Sep
40 Oct
35 Nov
37 Dec

The worst year: 2018

2018: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 40.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 24.8% at D2, 14.3% at D3, 85 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 152 weeks, Oct 1, 2019 to Aug 23, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 33 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.