Drought in Pike County, AR: 2.7 years in 10 since 2000

2.7 years in 10

Pike County, AR: 7 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2005 (27 wk), 2006 (42 wk), 2010 (14 wk), 2011 (37 wk), 2012 (30 wk), 2013 (14 wk) and 2022 (33 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2023.

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

Against the rest of AR

58th most drought-prone of 75 AR counties; the AR middle is 3.1 in 10. Closest on the list: Howard County (2.7 in 10) and Perry County (2.7 in 10). Driest in AR: Lee County (4.6 in 10). Least drought: Clay County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Nov (37% of weeks), then Oct (35%) and Dec (33%). Least in May (10%). May to September averages 18%.

24 Jan
19 Feb
19 Mar
10 Apr
10 May
16 Jun
19 Jul
21 Aug
22 Sep
35 Oct
37 Nov
33 Dec

The worst year: 2006

2006: 42 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 22.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 11.9% at D2, 6.4% at D3, 21 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 46 weeks, Nov 1, 2005 to Sep 12, 2006.

Lately

Last drought year: 2022, 33 weeks. 2016-2025: 1 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 35 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.