Drought in Logan County, CO: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (14 wk), 2002 (42 wk), 2003 (45 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (14 wk), 2006 (39 wk), 2007 (17 wk), 2011 (19 wk), 2012 (32 wk), 2013 (38 wk), 2020 (33 wk), 2021 (29 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2023 (19 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2009, 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 Apr peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of CO

33rd most drought-prone of 64 CO counties; the CO middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: El Paso County (5.4 in 10) and Teller County (5.4 in 10). Driest in CO: Otero County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Grand County (3.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (45% of weeks), then Mar (45%) and Aug (39%). Least in Jun (29%). May to September averages 33%.

36 Jan
37 Feb
45 Mar
45 Apr
33 May
29 Jun
34 Jul
39 Aug
31 Sep
32 Oct
37 Nov
34 Dec

The worst year: 2004

2004: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 35.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 23.2% at D2, 9.1% at D3, 34 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 91 weeks, Jul 15, 2003 to Apr 5, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 19 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 34 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.