Drought in Teton County, ID: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

Teton County, ID: 14 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (46 wk), 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (52 wk), 2007 (40 wk), 2008 (21 wk), 2010 (25 wk), 2012 (19 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2021 (27 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2024 (27 wk) and 2025 (47 wk). Not a single drought week in 2006, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

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 ID

26th most drought-prone of 44 ID counties; the ID middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Lemhi County (5.8 in 10) and Madison County (5.4 in 10). Driest in ID: Blaine County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Kootenai County (4.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (54% of weeks), then Oct (53%) and Feb (49%). Least in Apr (39%). May to September averages 46%.

46 Jan
49 Feb
44 Mar
39 Apr
41 May
42 Jun
46 Jul
47 Aug
54 Sep
53 Oct
47 Nov
46 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 46% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 27.5% at D2, 6.1% at D3, 23 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 255 weeks, Feb 13, 2001 to Dec 27, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 47 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.