Drought in Chase County, NE: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

Chase County, NE: 15 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (29 wk), 2001 (21 wk), 2002 (47 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (52 wk), 2006 (52 wk), 2012 (29 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (25 wk), 2017 (18 wk), 2020 (28 wk), 2021 (26 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2023 (25 wk). Not a single drought week in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 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 Feb peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of NE

12th most drought-prone of 93 NE counties; the NE middle is 5 in 10. Closest on the list: Hitchcock County (5.8 in 10) and Dundy County (5.8 in 10). Driest in NE: Banner County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Cuming County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Feb (51% of weeks), then Aug (50%) and Jan (48%). Least in Nov (41%). May to September averages 46%.

48 Jan
51 Feb
47 Mar
46 Apr
43 May
44 Jun
48 Jul
50 Aug
44 Sep
45 Oct
41 Nov
42 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 45.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 27.6% at D2, 17.4% at D3, 68 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 263 weeks, Feb 12, 2002 to Feb 20, 2007.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 25 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 43 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.