Drought in Linn County, KS: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Linn County, KS: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (21 wk), 2003 (19 wk), 2006 (36 wk), 2011 (21 wk), 2012 (28 wk), 2013 (16 wk), 2014 (21 wk), 2022 (15 wk) and 2023 (29 wk). Not a single drought week in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2019 and 2021.

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 KS

91st most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Lyon County (3.5 in 10) and Geary 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 Oct (32% of weeks), then Nov (26%) and Aug (24%). Least in Jun (7%). May to September averages 16%.

20 Jan
14 Feb
15 Mar
16 Apr
8 May
7 Jun
19 Jul
24 Aug
23 Sep
32 Oct
26 Nov
23 Dec

The worst year: 2006

2006: 36 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 18.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 5.6% at D2, 1% at D3, 6 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 44 weeks, Jun 19, 2012 to Apr 16, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 29 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 7 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.