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

6.2 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (40 wk), 2006 (47 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2008 (15 wk), 2009 (20 wk), 2011 (46 wk), 2012 (24 wk), 2013 (40 wk), 2014 (34 wk), 2015 (16 wk), 2018 (23 wk), 2019 (19 wk), 2020 (21 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (38 wk) and 2025 (14 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2004, 2016 and 2017.

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

88th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Irion County (6.2 in 10) and Milam 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 (50% of weeks), then Aug (49%) and Feb (44%). Least in Nov (26%). May to September averages 35%.

39 Jan
44 Feb
50 Mar
40 Apr
31 May
26 Jun
37 Jul
49 Aug
35 Sep
37 Oct
26 Nov
30 Dec

The worst year: 2022

2022: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 37% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 19.1% at D2, 4.9% at D3, 34 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 74 weeks, Dec 21, 2021 to May 16, 2023.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 14 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 18 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.