Drought in Marion County, KS: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2011 (31 wk), 2012 (29 wk), 2013 (31 wk), 2014 (23 wk), 2018 (40 wk), 2022 (19 wk), 2023 (52 wk) and 2024 (25 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2017 and 2021.

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.

This is one step drier than the yearly count alone suggests, because 25% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Against the rest of KS

99th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Labette County (3.1 in 10) and Jackson County (3.1 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 Apr (31% of weeks), then Jul (28%) and May (27%). Least in Mar (17%). May to September averages 25%.

23 Jan
17 Feb
17 Mar
31 Apr
27 May
25 Jun
28 Jul
24 Aug
23 Sep
23 Oct
21 Nov
21 Dec

The worst year: 2023

2023: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 23.4% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 11.9% at D2, 6.5% at D3, 7 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 91 weeks, Sep 13, 2022 to Jun 4, 2024.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 25 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 2.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 12 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.