Drought in Kittitas County, WA: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Kittitas County, WA: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (46 wk), 2005 (47 wk), 2014 (33 wk), 2015 (44 wk), 2020 (41 wk), 2021 (34 wk), 2022 (14 wk), 2024 (28 wk) and 2025 (29 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2017.

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

This is one step drier than the yearly count alone suggests, because 32% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (5 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (2.5 in 10).

Against the rest of WA

18th most drought-prone of 39 WA counties; the WA middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Lincoln County (3.5 in 10) and Yakima County (3.5 in 10). Driest in WA: Grant County (5 in 10). Least drought: Jefferson County (1.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (43% of weeks), then Aug (36%) and Oct (36%). Least in Jan (12%). May to September averages 32%.

12 Jan
18 Feb
26 Mar
18 Apr
22 May
30 Jun
30 Jul
36 Aug
43 Sep
36 Oct
27 Nov
24 Dec

The worst year: 2005

2005: 47 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 26.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 9.6% at D2, 1.9% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 47 weeks, Feb 13, 2001 to Jan 1, 2002.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 29 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 2.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 32 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.