Drought in Perkins County, NE: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

Perkins County, NE: 15 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (30 wk), 2002 (47 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2005 (52 wk), 2006 (52 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2012 (29 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (25 wk), 2017 (21 wk), 2020 (26 wk), 2021 (22 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2023 (25 wk). Not a single drought week in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2024.

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 NE

14th most drought-prone of 93 NE counties; the NE middle is 5 in 10. Closest on the list: Dundy County (5.8 in 10) and Keith County (5.8 in 10). Driest in NE: Banner County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Cuming County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (53% of weeks), then Feb (51%) and Mar (51%). Least in Nov (38%). May to September averages 43%.

44 Jan
51 Feb
51 Mar
53 Apr
45 May
40 Jun
43 Jul
44 Aug
41 Sep
41 Oct
38 Nov
39 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 44.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 31.7% at D2, 18.3% at D3, 76 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 268 weeks, Feb 12, 2002 to Mar 27, 2007.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 25 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 42 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.