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

3.1 years in 10

McPherson 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 (31 wk), 2013 (30 wk), 2014 (23 wk), 2018 (40 wk), 2022 (37 wk), 2023 (52 wk) and 2024 (30 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

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 Aug 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 32% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Against the rest of KS

96th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Riley County (3.5 in 10) and Butler 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 Aug (40% of weeks), then Apr (38%) and May (35%). Least in Dec (17%). May to September averages 32%.

23 Jan
22 Feb
25 Mar
38 Apr
35 May
26 Jun
28 Jul
40 Aug
30 Sep
27 Oct
21 Nov
17 Dec

The worst year: 2023

2023: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 27.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 14.3% at D2, 5.9% at D3, 32 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 96 weeks, Aug 9, 2022 to Jun 4, 2024.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 30 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 2.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 30 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.