Drought in Roosevelt County, MT: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (23 wk), 2003 (18 wk), 2005 (19 wk), 2006 (16 wk), 2007 (18 wk), 2008 (29 wk), 2017 (30 wk), 2018 (21 wk), 2020 (16 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (46 wk), 2023 (31 wk), 2024 (23 wk) and 2025 (31 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019.

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.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (8 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (3.8 in 10).

Against the rest of MT

32nd most drought-prone of 56 MT counties; the MT middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Richland County (5.4 in 10) and Sweet Grass 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 Oct (36% of weeks), then Mar (35%) and Apr (31%). Least in Jul (16%). May to September averages 25%.

28 Jan
29 Feb
35 Mar
31 Apr
30 May
21 Jun
16 Jul
29 Aug
31 Sep
36 Oct
27 Nov
30 Dec

The worst year: 2021

2021: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 28.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 14.2% at D2, 6.6% at D3, 28 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 93 weeks, Sep 15, 2020 to Jun 21, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 31 weeks. 2016-2025: 8 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 18 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.