Drought in Clark County, AR: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Clark County, AR: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (15 wk), 2005 (27 wk), 2006 (33 wk), 2010 (14 wk), 2011 (36 wk), 2012 (30 wk), 2013 (14 wk), 2022 (34 wk) and 2024 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2023.

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

Against the rest of AR

25th most drought-prone of 75 AR counties; the AR middle is 3.1 in 10. Closest on the list: Ouachita County (3.5 in 10) and Dallas County (3.5 in 10). Driest in AR: Lee County (4.6 in 10). Least drought: Clay County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (38% of weeks), then Oct (36%) and Dec (31%). Least in May (6%). May to September averages 18%.

22 Jan
17 Feb
19 Mar
11 Apr
6 May
12 Jun
22 Jul
23 Aug
27 Sep
36 Oct
38 Nov
31 Dec

The worst year: 2011

2011: 36 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 21.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 11.6% at D2, 3.9% at D3, 7 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 35 weeks, Jun 5, 2012 to Jan 29, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 39 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.