Drought in Kearney County, NE: 6.2 years in 10 since 2000

6.2 years in 10

Kearney County, NE: 16 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (44 wk), 2002 (39 wk), 2003 (49 wk), 2004 (43 wk), 2005 (43 wk), 2006 (38 wk), 2012 (28 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (16 wk), 2016 (25 wk), 2017 (16 wk), 2020 (23 wk), 2022 (47 wk), 2023 (52 wk), 2024 (18 wk) and 2025 (24 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 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 Apr peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of NE

5th most drought-prone of 93 NE counties; the NE middle is 5 in 10. Closest on the list: Deuel County (6.2 in 10) and Sioux County (5.8 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 Apr (50% of weeks), then Aug (49%) and Mar (45%). Least in Jun (34%). May to September averages 41%.

44 Jan
44 Feb
45 Mar
50 Apr
40 May
34 Jun
38 Jul
49 Aug
42 Sep
44 Oct
43 Nov
43 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 43% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 24.4% at D2, 6.6% at D3, 14 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 104 weeks, Feb 8, 2022 to Jan 30, 2024.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 24 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 25 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.