Drought in San Miguel County, CO: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

San Miguel County, CO: 15 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (48 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2006 (17 wk), 2007 (19 wk), 2012 (33 wk), 2013 (38 wk), 2015 (16 wk), 2018 (52 wk), 2019 (27 wk), 2020 (52 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (38 wk), 2023 (13 wk) and 2025 (38 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2016.

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

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (7 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (5 in 10).

Against the rest of CO

17th most drought-prone of 64 CO counties; the CO middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Montrose County (5.8 in 10) and Mesa County (5.8 in 10). Driest in CO: Otero County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Grand County (3.5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Jul (52% of weeks), then Jun (51%) and Aug (50%). Least in Jan (38%). May to September averages 49%.

38 Jan
39 Feb
43 Mar
45 Apr
46 May
51 Jun
52 Jul
50 Aug
45 Sep
38 Oct
39 Nov
43 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 44.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 26.1% at D2, 14.3% at D3, 106 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 159 weeks, Sep 10, 2019 to Sep 20, 2022.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 38 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 32 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.