Drought in Phillips County, KS: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (30 wk), 2002 (35 wk), 2003 (49 wk), 2004 (47 wk), 2005 (14 wk), 2006 (34 wk), 2011 (17 wk), 2012 (29 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (34 wk), 2020 (14 wk), 2022 (47 wk), 2023 (38 wk), 2024 (22 wk) and 2025 (23 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018 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 Feb peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of KS

25th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Trego County (5.8 in 10) and Ellis County (5.8 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 Feb (44% of weeks), then Mar (41%) and Aug (39%). Least in Nov (30%). May to September averages 37%.

36 Jan
44 Feb
41 Mar
38 Apr
38 May
37 Jun
36 Jul
39 Aug
35 Sep
34 Oct
30 Nov
33 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 36.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 17.1% at D2, 7% at D3, 60 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 115 weeks, Jun 19, 2012 to Aug 26, 2014.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 23 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 7 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.