Drought in Cochran County, TX: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (19 wk), 2001 (24 wk), 2002 (19 wk), 2003 (30 wk), 2004 (13 wk), 2006 (24 wk), 2011 (45 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (38 wk), 2018 (39 wk), 2020 (31 wk), 2021 (31 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2023 (26 wk). Not a single drought week in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2015.

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

104th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Floyd County (5.8 in 10) and Crosby County (5.8 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 (53% of weeks), then Apr (46%) and Sep (46%). Least in Dec (31%). May to September averages 42%.

38 Jan
44 Feb
53 Mar
46 Apr
42 May
44 Jun
39 Jul
41 Aug
46 Sep
37 Oct
32 Nov
31 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 41% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 25.9% at D2, 13.6% at D3, 148 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 188 weeks, Feb 22, 2011 to Sep 23, 2014.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 26 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 40 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.