Drought in Grady County, OK: 4.2 years in 10 since 2000

4.2 years in 10

Grady County, OK: 11 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2003 (17 wk), 2005 (13 wk), 2006 (45 wk), 2011 (51 wk), 2012 (36 wk), 2013 (16 wk), 2014 (45 wk), 2015 (18 wk), 2022 (44 wk), 2023 (32 wk) and 2024 (19 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2007, 2008 and 2020.

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

Against the rest of OK

49th most drought-prone of 77 OK counties; the OK middle is 4.6 in 10. Closest on the list: Garvin County (4.2 in 10) and McClain County (4.2 in 10). Driest in OK: Cimarron County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: McIntosh County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Dec (43% of weeks), then Jan (43%) and Sep (39%). Least in Jun (17%). May to September averages 28%.

43 Jan
38 Feb
35 Mar
31 Apr
24 May
17 Jun
24 Jul
38 Aug
39 Sep
32 Oct
30 Nov
43 Dec

The worst year: 2011

2011: 51 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 32.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 18.6% at D2, 9.9% at D3, 40 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 63 weeks, Feb 25, 2014 to May 5, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 19 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.