Drought in Osage County, OK: 4.6 years in 10 since 2000

4.6 years in 10

Osage County, OK: 12 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2006 (41 wk), 2011 (35 wk), 2012 (36 wk), 2013 (26 wk), 2014 (45 wk), 2015 (20 wk), 2017 (13 wk), 2018 (39 wk), 2021 (15 wk), 2022 (44 wk), 2023 (51 wk) and 2024 (17 wk). Not a single drought week in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2016 and 2019.

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 Jan peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (6 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (3.8 in 10).

Against the rest of OK

41st most drought-prone of 77 OK counties; the OK middle is 4.6 in 10. Closest on the list: Pawnee County (4.6 in 10) and Coal County (4.6 in 10). Driest in OK: Cimarron County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: McIntosh County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Jan (41% of weeks), then Sep (38%) and Oct (37%). Least in Jun (16%). May to September averages 29%.

41 Jan
36 Feb
36 Mar
34 Apr
26 May
16 Jun
28 Jul
36 Aug
38 Sep
37 Oct
29 Nov
32 Dec

The worst year: 2023

2023: 51 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 32.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 18.9% at D2, 7.9% at D3, 83 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 75 weeks, Jul 19, 2022 to Dec 19, 2023.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 17 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 28 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.