Drought in Johnson County, WY: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

Johnson County, WY: 15 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (38 wk), 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (52 wk), 2006 (51 wk), 2007 (17 wk), 2012 (27 wk), 2013 (40 wk), 2016 (13 wk), 2020 (30 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (36 wk), 2024 (38 wk) and 2025 (19 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023.

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 WY

10th most drought-prone of 23 WY counties; the WY middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Converse County (5.8 in 10) and Platte County (5.8 in 10). Driest in WY: Sweetwater County (7.3 in 10). Least drought: Laramie County (5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (52% of weeks), then Feb (49%) and Aug (48%). Least in Dec (38%). May to September averages 43%.

41 Jan
49 Feb
52 Mar
46 Apr
38 May
40 Jun
44 Jul
48 Aug
45 Sep
42 Oct
39 Nov
38 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 43.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 31.4% at D2, 17.6% at D3, 52 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 242 weeks, Jul 3, 2001 to Feb 14, 2006.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 19 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 39 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.