Drought in Missoula County, MT: 6.2 years in 10 since 2000

6.2 years in 10

Missoula County, MT: 16 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (13 wk), 2001 (46 wk), 2002 (21 wk), 2003 (42 wk), 2004 (28 wk), 2005 (28 wk), 2006 (15 wk), 2007 (25 wk), 2010 (18 wk), 2015 (29 wk), 2016 (21 wk), 2021 (24 wk), 2022 (16 wk), 2023 (38 wk), 2024 (53 wk) and 2025 (49 wk). Not a single drought week in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 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 Aug peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of MT

16th most drought-prone of 56 MT counties; the MT middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Ravalli County (6.2 in 10) and Teton County (5.8 in 10). Driest in MT: Glacier County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Garfield County (3.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Aug (50% of weeks), then Sep (50%) and Oct (43%). Least in May (25%). May to September averages 38%.

31 Jan
35 Feb
29 Mar
25 Apr
25 May
25 Jun
38 Jul
50 Aug
50 Sep
43 Oct
34 Nov
34 Dec

The worst year: 2024

2024: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 34.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 20% at D2, 4.9% at D3, 20 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 104 weeks, Dec 19, 2023 to Dec 9, 2025.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 49 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 0 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.