Drought in Ramsey County, ND: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Ramsey County, ND: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2006 (24 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2012 (19 wk), 2018 (23 wk), 2021 (49 wk), 2022 (14 wk), 2023 (37 wk) and 2024 (18 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Nov, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (5 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (1.9 in 10).

Against the rest of ND

34th most drought-prone of 53 ND counties; the ND middle is 3.5 in 10. Closest on the list: Burleigh County (3.1 in 10) and Dickey County (3.1 in 10). Driest in ND: Bowman County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Barnes County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (27% of weeks), then Oct (24%) and Dec (23%). Least in Jul (8%). May to September averages 13%.

20 Jan
22 Feb
15 Mar
10 Apr
10 May
9 Jun
8 Jul
18 Aug
20 Sep
24 Oct
27 Nov
23 Dec

The worst year: 2021

2021: 49 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 17% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 4.1% at D2, 1.6% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 59 weeks, Oct 27, 2020 to Dec 7, 2021.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 18 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 1.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 2 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.