Drought in Lincoln County, WI: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2003 (18 wk), 2005 (13 wk), 2007 (33 wk), 2008 (19 wk), 2009 (42 wk), 2012 (13 wk), 2013 (15 wk), 2023 (28 wk) and 2024 (17 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Oct, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of WI

18th most drought-prone of 72 WI counties; the WI middle is 2.7 in 10. Closest on the list: Iron County (3.5 in 10) and Saint Croix County (3.5 in 10). Driest in WI: Barron County (4.6 in 10). Least drought: Fond du Lac County (0.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (28% of weeks), then Sep (27%) and Dec (26%). Least in Apr (10%). May to September averages 19%.

26 Jan
25 Feb
17 Mar
10 Apr
14 May
14 Jun
18 Jul
19 Aug
27 Sep
28 Oct
23 Nov
26 Dec

The worst year: 2009

2009: 42 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 20.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 5.4% at D2, 0.5% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 61 weeks, Aug 26, 2008 to Oct 20, 2009.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 17 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 25 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.