Drought in Johnson County, KS: 3.8 years in 10 since 2000

3.8 years in 10

Johnson County, KS: 10 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (14 wk), 2002 (17 wk), 2003 (38 wk), 2012 (28 wk), 2013 (18 wk), 2018 (15 wk), 2022 (14 wk), 2023 (18 wk), 2024 (15 wk) and 2025 (16 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021.

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

Against the rest of KS

78th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Wabaunsee County (3.8 in 10) and Chautauqua County (3.5 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 Nov (27% of weeks), then Sep (27%) and Oct (26%). Least in May (8%). May to September averages 16%.

8 Jan
12 Feb
12 Mar
16 Apr
8 May
10 Jun
15 Jul
21 Aug
27 Sep
26 Oct
27 Nov
24 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 38 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 17% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 6.9% at D2, 1.1% at D3, 12 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 46 weeks, Jun 19, 2012 to Apr 30, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 16 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 1 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.