Drought in Polk County, OR: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Polk County, OR: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (42 wk), 2014 (16 wk), 2015 (26 wk), 2018 (24 wk), 2019 (24 wk), 2020 (32 wk), 2021 (35 wk), 2023 (27 wk) and 2025 (29 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 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 Sep peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

This is one step drier than the yearly count alone suggests, because 27% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (6 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (1.9 in 10).

Against the rest of OR

29th most drought-prone of 36 OR counties; the OR middle is 4.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Curry County (3.5 in 10) and Lincoln County (3.5 in 10). Driest in OR: Lake County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Clatsop County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (38% of weeks), then Aug (36%) and Jul (29%). Least in Jan (8%). May to September averages 27%.

8 Jan
14 Feb
13 Mar
10 Apr
12 May
22 Jun
29 Jul
36 Aug
38 Sep
29 Oct
25 Nov
13 Dec

The worst year: 2001

2001: 42 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 20.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 9.8% at D2, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 42 weeks, Feb 13, 2001 to Nov 27, 2001.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 29 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 1.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 14 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.