Drought in Hand County, SD: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Hand County, SD: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2003 (37 wk), 2004 (22 wk), 2006 (16 wk), 2012 (24 wk), 2013 (20 wk), 2017 (16 wk), 2021 (43 wk), 2022 (16 wk) and 2025 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2023.

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

Against the rest of SD

48th most drought-prone of 66 SD counties; the SD middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Faulk County (3.5 in 10) and Hamlin County (3.5 in 10). Driest in SD: Jackson County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Clark County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (24% of weeks), then Aug (22%) and Mar (20%). Least in May (13%). May to September averages 16%.

18 Jan
18 Feb
20 Mar
24 Apr
13 May
14 Jun
16 Jul
22 Aug
17 Sep
15 Oct
15 Nov
18 Dec

The worst year: 2021

2021: 43 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 17.5% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 6.9% at D2, 0.3% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 48 weeks, Dec 1, 2020 to Oct 26, 2021.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 8 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.