Drought in Uinta County, WY: 7.3 years in 10 since 2000

7.3 years in 10

Uinta County, WY: 19 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (15 wk), 2001 (27 wk), 2002 (50 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (14 wk), 2007 (51 wk), 2008 (53 wk), 2009 (13 wk), 2010 (24 wk), 2012 (39 wk), 2013 (44 wk), 2018 (22 wk), 2019 (15 wk), 2020 (29 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (13 wk) and 2025 (30 wk). Not a single drought week in 2006, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

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 WY

2nd most drought-prone of 23 WY counties; the WY middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Sweetwater County (7.3 in 10) and Sublette County (6.9 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 Sep (56% of weeks), then Oct (56%) and Jul (54%). Least in May (42%). May to September averages 51%.

48 Jan
50 Feb
53 Mar
47 Apr
42 May
48 Jun
54 Jul
54 Aug
56 Sep
56 Oct
49 Nov
50 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 50.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 28.9% at D2, 9.7% at D3, 122 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 164 weeks, Feb 19, 2002 to Apr 5, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 30 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 7.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 43 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.