Drought in Grainger County, TN: 2.3 years in 10 since 2000

2.3 years in 10

Grainger County, TN: 6 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (25 wk), 2001 (30 wk), 2002 (16 wk), 2007 (44 wk), 2008 (44 wk) and 2016 (26 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2020, 2021 and 2025.

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 Nov, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of TN

46th most drought-prone of 95 TN counties; the TN middle is 2.3 in 10. Closest on the list: Greene County (2.3 in 10) and Maury County (2.3 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 Nov (30% of weeks), then Jun (24%) and Jan (23%). Least in Apr (6%). May to September averages 17%.

23 Jan
18 Feb
14 Mar
6 Apr
12 May
24 Jun
19 Jul
13 Aug
16 Sep
22 Oct
30 Nov
23 Dec

The worst year: 2007

2007: 44 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 18.2% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 7.1% at D2, 3.6% at D3, 16 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 49 weeks, May 1, 2007 to Apr 1, 2008.

Lately

Last drought year: 2016, 26 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 17 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.