Drought in Payette County, ID: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (43 wk), 2002 (49 wk), 2003 (41 wk), 2005 (40 wk), 2007 (26 wk), 2008 (13 wk), 2009 (16 wk), 2012 (20 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (42 wk), 2018 (21 wk), 2021 (36 wk) and 2022 (49 wk). Not a single drought week in 2006, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2023 and 2025.

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

Against the rest of ID

28th most drought-prone of 44 ID counties; the ID middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Madison County (5.4 in 10) and Adams County (5.4 in 10). Driest in ID: Blaine County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Kootenai County (4.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (49% of weeks), then Sep (47%) and Nov (45%). Least in Mar (33%). May to September averages 39%.

40 Jan
37 Feb
33 Mar
35 Apr
38 May
33 Jun
34 Jul
44 Aug
47 Sep
49 Oct
45 Nov
40 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 39.4% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 16.3% at D2, 1.5% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 131 weeks, Aug 14, 2012 to Feb 10, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2022, 49 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 6.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 0 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.