Drought in Saint Croix County, WI: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2003 (21 wk), 2004 (18 wk), 2008 (17 wk), 2009 (42 wk), 2012 (16 wk), 2013 (34 wk), 2014 (16 wk), 2022 (26 wk) and 2024 (14 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025.

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 Sep, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of WI

19th most drought-prone of 72 WI counties; the WI middle is 2.7 in 10. Closest on the list: Lincoln County (3.5 in 10) and Juneau County (3.5 in 10). Driest in WI: Barron County (4.6 in 10). Least drought: Fond du Lac County (0.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (27% of weeks), then Oct (27%) and Dec (24%). Least in Jun (10%). May to September averages 17%.

18 Jan
17 Feb
22 Mar
17 Apr
12 May
10 Jun
17 Jul
19 Aug
27 Sep
27 Oct
23 Nov
24 Dec

The worst year: 2009

2009: 42 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 19.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 6.4% at D2, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 59 weeks, Sep 9, 2008 to Oct 20, 2009.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 14 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 15 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.