Drought in Lee County, IL: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Lee County, IL: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (16 wk), 2003 (33 wk), 2005 (29 wk), 2006 (15 wk), 2012 (27 wk), 2013 (17 wk), 2024 (13 wk) and 2025 (24 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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 IL

24th most drought-prone of 102 IL counties; the IL middle is 2.3 in 10. Closest on the list: Fulton County (3.1 in 10) and Greene County (3.1 in 10). Driest in IL: Hancock County (3.8 in 10). Least drought: Edwards County (0.4 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (24% of weeks), then Feb (22%) and Nov (20%). Least in May (1%). May to September averages 10%.

18 Jan
22 Feb
17 Mar
9 Apr
1 May
12 Jun
13 Jul
9 Aug
17 Sep
24 Oct
20 Nov
19 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 33 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 15% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 6.4% at D2, 2.1% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 44 weeks, Jun 14, 2005 to Apr 11, 2006.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 24 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 6 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.