Drought in Nodaway County, MO: 4.2 years in 10 since 2000

4.2 years in 10

Nodaway County, MO: 11 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (37 wk), 2002 (23 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (18 wk), 2006 (21 wk), 2012 (25 wk), 2013 (39 wk), 2014 (13 wk), 2018 (23 wk), 2023 (13 wk) and 2024 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 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.

Against the rest of MO

7th most drought-prone of 115 MO counties; the MO middle is 3.1 in 10. Closest on the list: Vernon County (4.2 in 10) and Clinton County (4.2 in 10). Driest in MO: Jasper County (4.6 in 10). Least drought: Perry County (1.2 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (29% of weeks), then Nov (27%) and Mar (26%). Least in Sep (15%). May to September averages 18%.

22 Jan
20 Feb
26 Mar
29 Apr
21 May
15 Jun
19 Jul
19 Aug
15 Sep
23 Oct
27 Nov
24 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 21.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 8.7% at D2, 3.2% at D3, 3 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 87 weeks, Sep 10, 2002 to May 4, 2004.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 5 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 3 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.