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

5.8 years in 10

Teton County, WY: 15 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 (44 wk), 2006 (13 wk), 2007 (46 wk), 2008 (13 wk), 2010 (23 wk), 2012 (16 wk), 2021 (38 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (21 wk), 2024 (27 wk) and 2025 (52 wk). Not a single drought week in 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 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 Oct peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of WY

13th most drought-prone of 23 WY counties; the WY middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Natrona County (5.8 in 10) and Washakie County (5.8 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 Oct (51% of weeks), then Sep (50%) and Jun (45%). Least in Jan (34%). May to September averages 44%.

34 Jan
39 Feb
38 Mar
41 Apr
41 May
45 Jun
42 Jul
45 Aug
50 Sep
51 Oct
43 Nov
39 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 42.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 26.8% at D2, 5.8% at D3, 20 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 247 weeks, Feb 13, 2001 to Nov 1, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 52 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 25 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.