Drought in Finney County, KS: 6.5 years in 10 since 2000

6.5 years in 10

Finney County, KS: 17 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (42 wk), 2003 (32 wk), 2004 (25 wk), 2006 (42 wk), 2011 (52 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (20 wk), 2017 (16 wk), 2018 (25 wk), 2019 (19 wk), 2020 (40 wk), 2021 (15 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (34 wk) and 2024 (20 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

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.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (8 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (5.6 in 10).

Against the rest of KS

7th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Hamilton County (6.5 in 10) and Sheridan County (6.5 in 10). Driest in KS: Morton County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Dickinson County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (60% of weeks), then Mar (54%) and May (53%). Least in Jul (38%). May to September averages 43%.

51 Jan
51 Feb
54 Mar
60 Apr
53 May
46 Jun
38 Jul
39 Aug
40 Sep
41 Oct
42 Nov
46 Dec

The worst year: 2011

2011: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 46.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 28.9% at D2, 12.9% at D3, 139 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 234 weeks, Nov 30, 2010 to May 19, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 20 weeks. 2016-2025: 8 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 27 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.