Drought in Dubuque County, IA: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Dubuque County, IA: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (13 wk), 2003 (27 wk), 2005 (25 wk), 2006 (13 wk), 2012 (27 wk), 2021 (27 wk), 2022 (16 wk), 2023 (29 wk) and 2024 (21 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

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 Feb, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of IA

75th most drought-prone of 99 IA counties; the IA middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Delaware County (3.5 in 10) and Jackson County (3.5 in 10). Driest in IA: Wapello County (5.4 in 10). Least drought: Howard County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Feb (24% of weeks), then Mar (24%) and Oct (23%). Least in May (1%). May to September averages 11%.

18 Jan
24 Feb
24 Mar
13 Apr
1 May
8 Jun
13 Jul
15 Aug
17 Sep
23 Oct
18 Nov
14 Dec

The worst year: 2023

2023: 29 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 15.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 4.3% at D2, 1% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 43 weeks, Jun 13, 2023 to Apr 2, 2024.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 21 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 2 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.