Drought in Park County, WY: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

Park County, WY: 15 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (46 wk), 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (47 wk), 2006 (20 wk), 2007 (52 wk), 2008 (13 wk), 2010 (20 wk), 2012 (19 wk), 2013 (37 wk), 2021 (36 wk), 2022 (22 wk), 2024 (27 wk) and 2025 (19 wk). Not a single drought week in 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023.

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.

Against the rest of WY

16th most drought-prone of 23 WY counties; the WY middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Crook County (5.8 in 10) and Sheridan County (5.8 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 Sep (49% of weeks), then Oct (48%) and Aug (44%). Least in Dec (34%). May to September averages 41%.

34 Jan
41 Feb
39 Mar
38 Apr
38 May
36 Jun
38 Jul
44 Aug
49 Sep
48 Oct
38 Nov
34 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 39.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 24.6% at D2, 10.6% at D3, 36 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 250 weeks, Feb 13, 2001 to Nov 22, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 19 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 6.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 31 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.