DroughtOdds

How often does drought hit my county?

Type your county. You get how many of the last 26 years it spent a real stretch in drought, when in the year it lands, and whether that means keeping the lawn, changing the grass or digging it out. It comes from the weekly US Drought Monitor maps and costs nothing.

  1. 0
  2. 0
  3. 20
  4. 1
  5. 0
  6. 0
  7. 0
  8. 48
  9. 39
  10. 52
  11. 3
  12. 0
  13. 52
  14. 53
  15. 52
  16. 52
  17. 52
  18. 6
  19. 10
  20. 0
  21. 47
  22. 52
  23. 52
  24. 8
  25. 0
  26. 3

20002025

Fresno County, CA: a real drought in 12 of the last 26 years. One square per year, the number is weeks in drought, darker means more of that year in drought: a dry spell, 13+ weeks, most of the year. The full Fresno County page

Where the answer points

PlanWhen it fitscounties
Shrink the lawn 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. 1,342 42%
Change the 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. 933 29%
Keep the lawn Real droughts are rare here. A smart controller that skips watering after rain covers the odd dry year. 947 29%

A county lands one step drier if its droughts cluster in May to September, when a lawn actually needs the water.