Drought in Muscatine County, IA: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (22 wk), 2003 (29 wk), 2005 (27 wk), 2006 (15 wk), 2012 (25 wk), 2013 (29 wk), 2014 (25 wk) and 2023 (29 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016 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 IA

86th most drought-prone of 99 IA counties; the IA middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Hardin County (3.1 in 10) and Grundy County (3.1 in 10). Driest in IA: Wapello County (5.4 in 10). Least drought: Howard County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (27% of weeks), then Sep (26%) and Feb (26%). Least in Jun (8%). May to September averages 14%.

22 Jan
26 Feb
23 Mar
14 Apr
8 May
8 Jun
10 Jul
18 Aug
26 Sep
27 Oct
21 Nov
20 Dec

The worst year: 2023

2023: 29 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 18.4% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 6.6% at D2, 1.9% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 44 weeks, Aug 27, 2013 to Jun 24, 2014.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 29 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 6 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.