Drought in El Paso County, TX: 6.2 years in 10 since 2000

6.2 years in 10

El Paso County, TX: 16 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (26 wk), 2001 (16 wk), 2002 (53 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (40 wk), 2006 (21 wk), 2008 (18 wk), 2011 (52 wk), 2012 (48 wk), 2013 (30 wk), 2014 (24 wk), 2020 (17 wk), 2021 (26 wk), 2023 (23 wk), 2024 (53 wk) and 2025 (43 wk). Not a single drought week in 2005, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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

Against the rest of TX

82nd most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Brooks County (6.2 in 10) and Loving County (6.2 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 Apr (50% of weeks), then Jun (48%) and Mar (45%). Least in Nov (30%). May to September averages 41%.

37 Jan
45 Feb
45 Mar
50 Apr
44 May
48 Jun
41 Jul
32 Aug
41 Sep
38 Oct
30 Nov
33 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 40.2% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 22.2% at D2, 12% at D3, 38 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 161 weeks, Sep 11, 2001 to Oct 5, 2004.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 43 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 6.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 4 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.