Drought in Summit County, CO: 4.2 years in 10 since 2000

4.2 years in 10

Summit County, CO: 11 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (48 wk), 2003 (35 wk), 2004 (36 wk), 2012 (49 wk), 2013 (31 wk), 2018 (25 wk), 2019 (13 wk), 2020 (23 wk), 2021 (43 wk), 2022 (31 wk) and 2025 (25 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 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 Jul peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (6 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (3.1 in 10).

Against the rest of CO

59th most drought-prone of 64 CO counties; the CO middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Lake County (4.2 in 10) and Park County (4.2 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 (38% of weeks), then Jun (34%) and Oct (33%). Least in Dec (24%). May to September averages 31%.

24 Jan
29 Feb
29 Mar
30 Apr
28 May
34 Jun
38 Jul
29 Aug
28 Sep
33 Oct
27 Nov
24 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 49 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 29.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 17.6% at D2, 10.4% at D3, 74 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 83 weeks, Feb 5, 2002 to Sep 2, 2003.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 25 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.