Drought in Washoe County, NV: 6.9 years in 10 since 2000

6.9 years in 10

Washoe County, NV: 18 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (39 wk), 2002 (41 wk), 2003 (49 wk), 2004 (41 wk), 2005 (15 wk), 2007 (45 wk), 2008 (53 wk), 2009 (52 wk), 2010 (40 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (52 wk), 2016 (52 wk), 2020 (27 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2023 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2006, 2011, 2024 and 2025.

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 NV

4th most drought-prone of 17 NV counties; the NV middle is 6.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Pershing County (6.9 in 10) and Humboldt County (6.9 in 10). Driest in NV: Nye County (8.1 in 10). Least drought: Douglas County (5.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (65% of weeks), then Dec (63%) and Jun (62%). Least in Feb (53%). May to September averages 61%.

54 Jan
53 Feb
55 Mar
56 Apr
57 May
62 Jun
61 Jul
61 Aug
65 Sep
58 Oct
60 Nov
63 Dec

The worst year: 2014

2014: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 58.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 43.4% at D2, 17% at D3, 91 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 262 weeks, Jan 3, 2012 to Jan 3, 2017.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 8.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 31 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.