Drought in Lemhi County, ID: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (16 wk), 2001 (46 wk), 2002 (48 wk), 2003 (44 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (48 wk), 2007 (21 wk), 2010 (15 wk), 2013 (17 wk), 2015 (26 wk), 2021 (30 wk), 2022 (39 wk), 2023 (14 wk), 2024 (52 wk) and 2025 (48 wk). Not a single drought week in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020.

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.

Against the rest of ID

25th most drought-prone of 44 ID counties; the ID middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Ada County (5.8 in 10) and Teton County (5.4 in 10). Driest in ID: Blaine County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Kootenai County (4.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (47% of weeks), then Oct (46%) and Jul (44%). Least in Jan (30%). May to September averages 41%.

30 Jan
34 Feb
36 Mar
37 Apr
33 May
36 Jun
44 Jul
44 Aug
47 Sep
46 Oct
43 Nov
38 Dec

The worst year: 2004

2004: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 38.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 23.5% at D2, 9.5% at D3, 66 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 125 weeks, Jul 8, 2003 to Nov 22, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 48 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 14 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.