Drought in Worcester County, MA: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Worcester County, MA: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (25 wk), 2012 (13 wk), 2015 (16 wk), 2016 (35 wk), 2017 (15 wk), 2020 (20 wk), 2022 (16 wk) and 2025 (30 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2019 and 2023.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Nov, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (5 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (1.9 in 10).

Against the rest of MA

1st most drought-prone of 14 MA counties; the MA middle is 1.9 in 10. Closest on the list: Middlesex County (3.1 in 10). Least drought: Berkshire County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (25% of weeks), then Dec (24%) and Jan (19%). Least in Jun (10%). May to September averages 12%.

19 Jan
18 Feb
13 Mar
15 Apr
11 May
10 Jun
14 Jul
14 Aug
13 Sep
18 Oct
25 Nov
24 Dec

The worst year: 2016

2016: 35 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 16.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 5.6% at D2, 1.4% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 40 weeks, Jun 28, 2016 to Mar 28, 2017.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 30 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 1.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 18 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.