Drought in Briscoe County, TX: 6.2 years in 10 since 2000

6.2 years in 10

Briscoe County, TX: 16 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (13 wk), 2001 (15 wk), 2003 (21 wk), 2006 (35 wk), 2011 (41 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (18 wk), 2018 (40 wk), 2019 (15 wk), 2020 (33 wk), 2021 (27 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (22 wk) and 2024 (14 wk). Not a single drought week in 2007 and 2010.

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

Against the rest of TX

76th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Menard County (6.2 in 10) and Mills County (6.2 in 10). Driest in TX: Uvalde County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Jasper County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (48% of weeks), then Feb (47%) and Jan (46%). Least in Jun (36%). May to September averages 41%.

46 Jan
47 Feb
48 Mar
43 Apr
44 May
36 Jun
38 Jul
44 Aug
42 Sep
36 Oct
38 Nov
40 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 41.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 27.6% at D2, 9.1% at D3, 82 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 216 weeks, Mar 22, 2011 to May 5, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 14 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.