Drought in Audubon County, IA: 5 years in 10 since 2000

5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (47 wk), 2003 (35 wk), 2005 (16 wk), 2006 (23 wk), 2012 (24 wk), 2013 (38 wk), 2014 (18 wk), 2020 (25 wk), 2021 (18 wk), 2022 (14 wk), 2023 (40 wk), 2024 (31 wk) and 2025 (16 wk). Not a single drought week in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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 Nov peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of IA

3rd most drought-prone of 99 IA counties; the IA middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Carroll County (5 in 10) and Jefferson County (5 in 10). Driest in IA: Wapello County (5.4 in 10). Least drought: Howard County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (38% of weeks), then Jan (38%) and Feb (37%). Least in May (7%). May to September averages 18%.

38 Jan
37 Feb
29 Mar
27 Apr
7 May
11 Jun
25 Jul
22 Aug
24 Sep
32 Oct
38 Nov
35 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 47 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 26.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 11.1% at D2, 2% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 50 weeks, May 23, 2023 to Apr 30, 2024.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 16 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 5 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.