Drought in Dewey County, SD: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (29 wk), 2003 (49 wk), 2004 (35 wk), 2005 (23 wk), 2006 (52 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2012 (24 wk), 2013 (22 wk), 2017 (32 wk), 2018 (15 wk), 2021 (49 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (14 wk), 2024 (13 wk) and 2025 (21 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2001, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2020.

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.

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

Against the rest of SD

13th most drought-prone of 66 SD counties; the SD middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Bennett County (5.8 in 10) and Lawrence County (5.4 in 10). Driest in SD: Jackson County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Clark County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (44% of weeks), then Feb (39%) and Apr (36%). Least in Jun (26%). May to September averages 30%.

35 Jan
39 Feb
44 Mar
36 Apr
28 May
26 Jun
28 Jul
35 Aug
31 Sep
36 Oct
36 Nov
34 Dec

The worst year: 2006

2006: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 33.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 18.6% at D2, 6.3% at D3, 35 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 114 weeks, Jan 26, 2021 to Mar 28, 2023.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 21 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 18 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.