Drought in Garfield County, NE: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

Garfield County, NE: 14 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (42 wk), 2002 (29 wk), 2003 (45 wk), 2004 (26 wk), 2006 (31 wk), 2012 (26 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (27 wk), 2020 (14 wk), 2021 (18 wk), 2022 (47 wk), 2023 (41 wk), 2024 (13 wk) and 2025 (26 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 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 Aug peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of NE

32nd most drought-prone of 93 NE counties; the NE middle is 5 in 10. Closest on the list: Holt County (5.4 in 10) and Cherry County (5.4 in 10). Driest in NE: Banner County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Cuming County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Aug (36% of weeks), then Jul (36%) and Oct (36%). Least in Jan (28%). May to September averages 34%.

28 Jan
35 Feb
35 Mar
35 Apr
34 May
34 Jun
36 Jul
36 Aug
29 Sep
36 Oct
30 Nov
32 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 33.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 21.3% at D2, 7.1% at D3, 34 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 106 weeks, Jul 3, 2012 to Jul 8, 2014.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 26 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 27 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.