Drought in Crittenden County, AR: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Crittenden County, AR: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (38 wk), 2001 (23 wk), 2005 (17 wk), 2007 (19 wk), 2010 (18 wk), 2011 (27 wk), 2012 (29 wk) and 2022 (20 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

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

48th most drought-prone of 75 AR counties; the AR middle is 3.1 in 10. Closest on the list: Scott County (3.1 in 10) and Cross County (3.1 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 (31% of weeks), then Sep (31%) and Aug (29%). Least in Apr (7%). May to September averages 20%.

23 Jan
19 Feb
8 Mar
7 Apr
8 May
11 Jun
19 Jul
29 Aug
31 Sep
28 Oct
31 Nov
23 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 38 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 19.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 8.6% at D2, 2.1% at D3, 4 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 30 weeks, Jul 25, 2000 to Feb 13, 2001.

Lately

Last drought year: 2022, 20 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 33 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.