Drought in Middlesex County, MA: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Middlesex County, MA: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (25 wk), 2015 (19 wk), 2016 (38 wk), 2017 (15 wk), 2020 (15 wk), 2022 (17 wk), 2024 (13 wk) and 2025 (18 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2019, 2021 and 2023.

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 Nov, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (6 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (1.3 in 10).

Against the rest of MA

2nd most drought-prone of 14 MA counties; the MA middle is 1.9 in 10. Closest on the list: Worcester County (3.1 in 10) and Essex County (2.7 in 10). Driest in MA: Worcester County (3.1 in 10). Least drought: Berkshire County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (22% of weeks), then Dec (21%) and Oct (21%). Least in May (9%). May to September averages 12%.

20 Jan
18 Feb
15 Mar
16 Apr
9 May
11 Jun
11 Jul
14 Aug
14 Sep
21 Oct
22 Nov
21 Dec

The worst year: 2016

2016: 38 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 16% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 5.4% at D2, 1.9% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 43 weeks, Jun 7, 2016 to Mar 28, 2017.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 18 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 1.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 31 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.