Drought in Cottle County, TX: 6.9 years in 10 since 2000

6.9 years in 10

Cottle County, TX: 18 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (13 wk), 2001 (24 wk), 2003 (16 wk), 2006 (36 wk), 2008 (13 wk), 2009 (17 wk), 2011 (46 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (23 wk), 2018 (40 wk), 2020 (21 wk), 2021 (31 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (29 wk), 2024 (14 wk) and 2025 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2010 and 2016.

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

30th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Foard County (6.9 in 10) and San Saba County (6.9 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 (54% of weeks), then Feb (52%) and Dec (49%). Least in Jun (36%). May to September averages 41%.

48 Jan
52 Feb
54 Mar
44 Apr
42 May
36 Jun
39 Jul
46 Aug
42 Sep
44 Oct
42 Nov
49 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 44.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 31.3% at D2, 17.3% at D3, 150 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 223 weeks, Feb 15, 2011 to May 19, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 6.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.