Drought in Wheatland County, MT: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (33 wk), 2001 (52 wk), 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (31 wk), 2007 (23 wk), 2008 (21 wk), 2012 (26 wk), 2013 (37 wk), 2017 (17 wk), 2021 (37 wk) and 2022 (29 wk). Not a single drought week in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023 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 Aug peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of MT

35th most drought-prone of 56 MT counties; the MT middle is 5.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Judith Basin County (5 in 10) and Wibaux County (5 in 10). Driest in MT: Glacier County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Garfield County (3.8 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Aug (46% of weeks), then Sep (45%) and Oct (44%). Least in Dec (30%). May to September averages 41%.

31 Jan
33 Feb
34 Mar
38 Apr
38 May
37 Jun
39 Jul
46 Aug
45 Sep
44 Oct
37 Nov
30 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 37.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 25.6% at D2, 13.4% at D3, 17 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 273 weeks, May 16, 2000 to Aug 2, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2022, 29 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 39 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.