Drought in Knox County, TX: 6.9 years in 10 since 2000

6.9 years in 10

Knox County, TX: 18 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (19 wk), 2001 (16 wk), 2003 (16 wk), 2006 (37 wk), 2008 (16 wk), 2009 (24 wk), 2011 (47 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (24 wk), 2018 (39 wk), 2020 (14 wk), 2021 (19 wk), 2022 (48 wk), 2023 (18 wk), 2024 (13 wk) and 2025 (14 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2010 and 2016.

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

Against the rest of TX

33rd most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: King County (6.9 in 10) and Upton County (6.9 in 10). Driest in TX: Uvalde County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Jasper County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Mar (51% of weeks), then Feb (51%) and Jan (48%). Least in Jun (33%). May to September averages 38%.

48 Jan
51 Feb
51 Mar
41 Apr
35 May
33 Jun
33 Jul
44 Aug
45 Sep
43 Oct
42 Nov
43 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 42.2% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 28.3% at D2, 17.6% at D3, 187 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 224 weeks, Feb 8, 2011 to May 19, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 14 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 6.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 42 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.