Drought in Lincoln County, WY: 6.9 years in 10 since 2000

6.9 years in 10

Lincoln County, WY: 18 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (15 wk), 2001 (39 wk), 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (33 wk), 2007 (51 wk), 2008 (53 wk), 2009 (23 wk), 2010 (24 wk), 2012 (32 wk), 2013 (44 wk), 2020 (16 wk), 2021 (48 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (13 wk), 2024 (13 wk) and 2025 (41 wk). Not a single drought week in 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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

Against the rest of WY

4th most drought-prone of 23 WY counties; the WY middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Sublette County (6.9 in 10) and Weston County (6.5 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 Oct (57% of weeks), then Jun (55%) and Jul (53%). Least in Nov (46%). May to September averages 52%.

48 Jan
51 Feb
50 Mar
47 Apr
48 May
55 Jun
53 Jul
50 Aug
52 Sep
57 Oct
46 Nov
49 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 50.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 29.8% at D2, 9.1% at D3, 130 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 229 weeks, Apr 3, 2001 to Aug 16, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 41 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 7.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.