Drought in Okanogan County, WA: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (46 wk), 2003 (22 wk), 2005 (48 wk), 2009 (43 wk), 2014 (42 wk), 2015 (32 wk), 2018 (21 wk), 2019 (26 wk), 2020 (34 wk), 2021 (31 wk), 2022 (27 wk), 2024 (25 wk) and 2025 (29 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016.

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

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (7 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (3.8 in 10).

Against the rest of WA

2nd most drought-prone of 39 WA counties; the WA middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Grant County (5 in 10) and Walla Walla County (5 in 10). Driest in WA: Grant County (5 in 10). Least drought: Jefferson County (1.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (55% of weeks), then Aug (50%) and Oct (48%). Least in Jan (13%). May to September averages 45%.

13 Jan
17 Feb
27 Mar
29 Apr
33 May
41 Jun
45 Jul
50 Aug
55 Sep
48 Oct
38 Nov
28 Dec

The worst year: 2005

2005: 48 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 35.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 13.1% at D2, 2.6% at D3, 8 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 53 weeks, Jun 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 29 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 35 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.