Drought in Anderson County, KS: 3.8 years in 10 since 2000

3.8 years in 10

Anderson County, KS: 10 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (18 wk), 2006 (33 wk), 2011 (29 wk), 2012 (39 wk), 2013 (22 wk), 2014 (25 wk), 2018 (26 wk), 2020 (14 wk), 2022 (18 wk) and 2023 (36 wk). Not a single drought week in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2019 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 Jan peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of KS

70th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Atchison County (3.8 in 10) and Jefferson County (3.8 in 10). Driest in KS: Morton County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Dickinson County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Jan (32% of weeks), then Oct (28%) and Aug (28%). Least in Jun (10%). May to September averages 19%.

32 Jan
19 Feb
18 Mar
23 Apr
13 May
10 Jun
20 Jul
28 Aug
22 Sep
28 Oct
27 Nov
27 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 39 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 22.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 7% at D2, 1.6% at D3, 6 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 50 weeks, Jun 19, 2012 to May 28, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 36 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 1 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.