Drought in Yamhill County, OR: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Yamhill County, OR: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (42 wk), 2014 (16 wk), 2015 (24 wk), 2018 (27 wk), 2019 (23 wk), 2020 (25 wk), 2021 (33 wk), 2023 (14 wk) and 2025 (29 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2024.

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 Sep, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (6 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (1.9 in 10).

Against the rest of OR

31st most drought-prone of 36 OR counties; the OR middle is 4.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Lincoln County (3.5 in 10) and Josephine County (3.1 in 10). Driest in OR: Lake County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Clatsop County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (33% of weeks), then Aug (29%) and Jul (28%). Least in Jan (8%). May to September averages 25%.

8 Jan
9 Feb
11 Mar
10 Apr
13 May
22 Jun
28 Jul
29 Aug
33 Sep
24 Oct
22 Nov
10 Dec

The worst year: 2001

2001: 42 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 18.2% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 8.1% at D2, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 42 weeks, Feb 13, 2001 to Nov 27, 2001.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 29 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 1.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 0 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.