Drought in Humboldt County, NV: 6.9 years in 10 since 2000

6.9 years in 10

Humboldt County, NV: 18 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (38 wk), 2002 (39 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (18 wk), 2007 (40 wk), 2008 (38 wk), 2009 (24 wk), 2010 (40 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (52 wk), 2016 (21 wk), 2020 (35 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2023 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2006, 2011, 2017 and 2025.

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

Against the rest of NV

5th most drought-prone of 17 NV counties; the NV middle is 6.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Washoe County (6.9 in 10) and Lincoln County (6.9 in 10). Driest in NV: Nye County (8.1 in 10). Least drought: Douglas County (5.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (60% of weeks), then Sep (60%) and Jan (58%). Least in Nov (52%). May to September averages 55%.

58 Jan
58 Feb
60 Mar
54 Apr
54 May
54 Jun
53 Jul
54 Aug
60 Sep
55 Oct
52 Nov
55 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 55.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 40% at D2, 13.6% at D3, 120 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 230 weeks, Jan 3, 2012 to May 24, 2016.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 8.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 34 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.