Drought in Meade County, SD: 6.2 years in 10 since 2000

6.2 years in 10

Meade County, SD: 16 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (35 wk), 2003 (51 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (43 wk), 2006 (51 wk), 2007 (45 wk), 2008 (18 wk), 2012 (32 wk), 2013 (39 wk), 2016 (29 wk), 2017 (44 wk), 2018 (24 wk), 2021 (49 wk), 2022 (45 wk), 2024 (22 wk) and 2025 (17 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2019 and 2023.

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.

Against the rest of SD

8th most drought-prone of 66 SD counties; the SD middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Ziebach County (6.5 in 10) and Perkins County (6.2 in 10). Driest in SD: Jackson County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Clark County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (54% of weeks), then Oct (51%) and Aug (50%). Least in Jun (39%). May to September averages 43%.

43 Jan
45 Feb
49 Mar
54 Apr
39 May
39 Jun
40 Jul
50 Aug
47 Sep
51 Oct
48 Nov
43 Dec

The worst year: 2004

2004: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 45.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 20.8% at D2, 6.4% at D3, 40 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 110 weeks, Jul 8, 2003 to Aug 9, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 17 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 30 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.