Drought in Iron County, MI: 2.3 years in 10 since 2000

2.3 years in 10

Iron County, MI: 6 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2006 (17 wk), 2007 (37 wk), 2008 (18 wk), 2009 (36 wk), 2010 (26 wk) and 2024 (22 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Oct, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of MI

11th most drought-prone of 83 MI counties; the MI middle is 1.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Menominee County (2.3 in 10) and Keweenaw County (2.3 in 10). Driest in MI: Gogebic County (3.5 in 10). Least drought: Newaygo County (0.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (23% of weeks), then Sep (22%) and Aug (16%). Least in Jan (8%). May to September averages 14%.

8 Jan
9 Feb
14 Mar
11 Apr
11 May
9 Jun
15 Jul
16 Aug
22 Sep
23 Oct
12 Nov
10 Dec

The worst year: 2007

2007: 37 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 13.2% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 4.1% at D2, 0.9% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 37 weeks, Sep 2, 2008 to May 12, 2009.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 22 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 11 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.