Drought in Phillips County, MT: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (48 wk), 2002 (42 wk), 2003 (40 wk), 2004 (21 wk), 2005 (19 wk), 2006 (16 wk), 2008 (19 wk), 2017 (29 wk), 2018 (24 wk), 2021 (48 wk), 2022 (49 wk), 2023 (35 wk) and 2025 (25 wk). Not a single drought week in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2024.

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

Against the rest of MT

43rd most drought-prone of 56 MT counties; the MT middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Dawson County (5 in 10) and Flathead County (5 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 Apr (39% of weeks), then Sep (39%) and Oct (38%). Least in Jun (24%). May to September averages 31%.

30 Jan
37 Feb
38 Mar
39 Apr
33 May
24 Jun
26 Jul
35 Aug
39 Sep
38 Oct
30 Nov
26 Dec

The worst year: 2022

2022: 49 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 32.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 15.8% at D2, 6.7% at D3, 52 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 76 weeks, Feb 2, 2021 to Jul 12, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 25 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 15 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.