Drought in Lewis County, ID: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

Lewis County, ID: 14 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (46 wk), 2002 (13 wk), 2003 (30 wk), 2005 (48 wk), 2007 (25 wk), 2010 (19 wk), 2013 (15 wk), 2014 (15 wk), 2015 (30 wk), 2021 (32 wk), 2022 (33 wk), 2023 (49 wk), 2024 (35 wk) and 2025 (31 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019 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

31st most drought-prone of 44 ID counties; the ID middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Gem County (5.4 in 10) and Washington County (5 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 Nov (46%) and Dec (44%). Least in Apr (22%). May to September averages 35%.

29 Jan
30 Feb
28 Mar
22 Apr
23 May
29 Jun
33 Jul
41 Aug
47 Sep
42 Oct
46 Nov
44 Dec

The worst year: 2023

2023: 49 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 34.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 14.2% at D2, 4.2% at D3, 21 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 74 weeks, Jun 10, 2025 to Nov 3, 2026.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 31 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.