Drought in Sheridan County, WY: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (44 wk), 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (40 wk), 2006 (34 wk), 2007 (14 wk), 2012 (27 wk), 2013 (27 wk), 2016 (13 wk), 2020 (30 wk), 2021 (36 wk), 2022 (24 wk), 2024 (38 wk) and 2025 (16 wk). Not a single drought week in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023.

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

Against the rest of WY

17th most drought-prone of 23 WY counties; the WY middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Park County (5.8 in 10) and Carbon County (5.4 in 10). Driest in WY: Sweetwater County (7.3 in 10). Least drought: Laramie County (5 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (45% of weeks), then Feb (45%) and Sep (41%). Least in May (34%). May to September averages 38%.

37 Jan
45 Feb
45 Mar
39 Apr
34 May
35 Jun
38 Jul
40 Aug
41 Sep
39 Oct
35 Nov
39 Dec

The worst year: 2004

2004: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 38.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 28.2% at D2, 12.3% at D3, 41 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 223 weeks, Jul 3, 2001 to Oct 4, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 16 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 38 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.