Drought in Latimer County, OK: 2.7 years in 10 since 2000

2.7 years in 10

Latimer County, OK: 7 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2005 (21 wk), 2006 (44 wk), 2011 (29 wk), 2012 (25 wk), 2013 (14 wk), 2017 (23 wk) and 2022 (30 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020 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 Oct, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of OK

69th most drought-prone of 77 OK counties; the OK middle is 4.6 in 10. Closest on the list: Le Flore County (2.7 in 10) and Wagoner County (2.7 in 10). Driest in OK: Cimarron County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: McIntosh County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (30% of weeks), then Aug (28%) and Jan (28%). Least in May (8%). May to September averages 18%.

28 Jan
20 Feb
15 Mar
12 Apr
8 May
11 Jun
18 Jul
28 Aug
25 Sep
30 Oct
24 Nov
22 Dec

The worst year: 2006

2006: 44 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 20.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 12.1% at D2, 5.6% at D3, 8 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 55 weeks, Oct 18, 2005 to Oct 31, 2006.

Lately

Last drought year: 2022, 30 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 3.1 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 25 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.