Drought in Hill County, MT: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

Hill County, MT: 14 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (21 wk), 2001 (52 wk), 2002 (35 wk), 2003 (51 wk), 2004 (44 wk), 2005 (35 wk), 2006 (24 wk), 2007 (26 wk), 2008 (23 wk), 2017 (23 wk), 2021 (43 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (40 wk) and 2025 (23 wk). Not a single drought week in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2020.

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

Against the rest of MT

26th most drought-prone of 56 MT counties; the MT middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Chouteau County (5.4 in 10) and Big Horn County (5.4 in 10). Driest in MT: Glacier County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Garfield County (3.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Aug (48% of weeks), then Sep (47%) and Oct (42%). Least in Jun (27%). May to September averages 39%.

37 Jan
36 Feb
38 Mar
37 Apr
40 May
27 Jun
32 Jul
48 Aug
47 Sep
42 Oct
41 Nov
36 Dec

The worst year: 2022

2022: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 38.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 22.6% at D2, 9.4% at D3, 31 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 105 weeks, Aug 29, 2000 to Aug 27, 2002.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 23 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 21 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.