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

3.5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (37 wk), 2002 (25 wk), 2003 (47 wk), 2012 (28 wk), 2013 (18 wk), 2014 (14 wk), 2018 (26 wk), 2023 (13 wk) and 2024 (22 wk). Not a single drought week in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2019.

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 Jan, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of KS

87th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Greenwood County (3.5 in 10) and Pottawatomie 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 Jan (29% of weeks), then Nov (29%) and Dec (28%). Least in May (13%). May to September averages 17%.

29 Jan
23 Feb
16 Mar
21 Apr
13 May
13 Jun
17 Jul
19 Aug
22 Sep
27 Oct
29 Nov
28 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 47 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 21.2% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 7.8% at D2, 1.6% at D3, 1 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 47 weeks, Jul 23, 2002 to Jun 10, 2003.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 22 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 0 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.