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

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (17 wk), 2001 (26 wk), 2003 (26 wk), 2006 (26 wk), 2011 (39 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (44 wk), 2018 (39 wk), 2020 (20 wk), 2021 (32 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (25 wk), 2024 (13 wk) and 2025 (15 wk). Not a single drought week in 2005, 2007 and 2010.

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 Sep peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (7 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (5 in 10).

Against the rest of TX

105th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Cochran County (5.8 in 10) and Garza 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 Sep (52% of weeks), then Aug (48%) and Oct (46%). Least in Jun (30%). May to September averages 41%.

39 Jan
43 Feb
42 Mar
42 Apr
38 May
30 Jun
36 Jul
48 Aug
52 Sep
46 Oct
37 Nov
41 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, 29.2% at D2, 13.6% at D3, 77 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 188 weeks, Apr 5, 2011 to Nov 4, 2014.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 15 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.