Drought in Dyer County, TN: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (28 wk), 2001 (24 wk), 2007 (21 wk), 2010 (22 wk), 2011 (21 wk), 2012 (33 wk), 2022 (17 wk) and 2023 (15 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2017, 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 Sep, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of TN

13th most drought-prone of 95 TN counties; the TN middle is 2.3 in 10. Closest on the list: Carter County (3.1 in 10) and Gibson County (3.1 in 10). Driest in TN: Bradley County (3.8 in 10). Least drought: Robertson County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (31% of weeks), then Oct (31%) and Aug (28%). Least in Apr (3%). May to September averages 22%.

23 Jan
16 Feb
5 Mar
3 Apr
11 May
20 Jun
20 Jul
28 Aug
31 Sep
31 Oct
28 Nov
19 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 33 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 19.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 8.2% at D2, 3.1% at D3, 7 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 35 weeks, May 15, 2012 to Jan 8, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 15 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 31 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.