Drought in Calhoun County, IL: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Calhoun County, IL: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (24 wk), 2005 (14 wk), 2006 (26 wk), 2007 (20 wk), 2012 (23 wk), 2013 (24 wk), 2014 (13 wk) and 2017 (21 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

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

Against the rest of IL

21st most drought-prone of 102 IL counties; the IL middle is 2.3 in 10. Closest on the list: Lake County (3.1 in 10) and Macon County (3.1 in 10). Driest in IL: Hancock County (3.8 in 10). Least drought: Edwards County (0.4 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (28% of weeks), then Jan (20%) and Nov (20%). Least in Apr (6%). May to September averages 13%.

20 Jan
18 Feb
16 Mar
6 Apr
11 May
9 Jun
9 Jul
18 Aug
19 Sep
28 Oct
20 Nov
18 Dec

The worst year: 2006

2006: 26 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 16% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 3.5% at D2, 0.6% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 32 weeks, Aug 27, 2013 to Apr 1, 2014.

Lately

Last drought year: 2017, 21 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 17 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.