Drought in Itasca County, MN: 4.2 years in 10 since 2000

4.2 years in 10

Itasca County, MN: 11 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2003 (36 wk), 2004 (20 wk), 2006 (24 wk), 2007 (32 wk), 2010 (14 wk), 2012 (25 wk), 2013 (15 wk), 2021 (32 wk), 2023 (26 wk), 2024 (32 wk) and 2025 (35 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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 MN

13th most drought-prone of 87 MN counties; the MN middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Otter Tail County (4.6 in 10) and Koochiching County (4.2 in 10). Driest in MN: Wadena County (5 in 10). Least drought: Pennington County (1.9 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (40% of weeks), then Feb (36%) and Oct (33%). Least in Jul (16%). May to September averages 19%.

28 Jan
36 Feb
40 Mar
32 Apr
19 May
17 Jun
16 Jul
19 Aug
22 Sep
33 Oct
28 Nov
27 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 36 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 26.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 9.8% at D2, 2.6% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 48 weeks, Jul 18, 2006 to Jun 12, 2007.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 35 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 40 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.