Drought in Sanders County, MT: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (46 wk), 2002 (20 wk), 2003 (34 wk), 2005 (46 wk), 2007 (25 wk), 2010 (24 wk), 2015 (29 wk), 2016 (25 wk), 2017 (14 wk), 2021 (26 wk), 2023 (42 wk), 2024 (47 wk) and 2025 (33 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

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.

Against the rest of MT

45th most drought-prone of 56 MT counties; the MT middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Flathead County (5 in 10) and Lincoln 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 Sep (47% of weeks), then Oct (44%) and Aug (42%). Least in Jun (20%). May to September averages 34%.

23 Jan
30 Feb
26 Mar
21 Apr
27 May
20 Jun
34 Jul
42 Aug
47 Sep
44 Oct
37 Nov
29 Dec

The worst year: 2024

2024: 47 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 31.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 18.3% at D2, 6.2% at D3, 5 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 72 weeks, Jul 11, 2023 to Nov 19, 2024.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 33 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 2 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.