Drought in Pike County, IL: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Pike County, IL: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (25 wk), 2005 (29 wk), 2006 (28 wk), 2007 (17 wk), 2011 (13 wk), 2012 (23 wk), 2017 (14 wk), 2023 (28 wk) and 2025 (21 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2022.

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

Against the rest of IL

11th most drought-prone of 102 IL counties; the IL middle is 2.3 in 10. Closest on the list: McHenry County (3.5 in 10) and Sangamon County (3.5 in 10). Driest in IL: Hancock County (3.8 in 10). Least drought: Edwards County (0.4 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Oct (27% of weeks), then Jan (25%) and Sep (22%). Least in Apr (8%). May to September averages 14%.

25 Jan
17 Feb
18 Mar
8 Apr
11 May
10 Jun
11 Jul
19 Aug
22 Sep
27 Oct
20 Nov
17 Dec

The worst year: 2005

2005: 29 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 16.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 3.5% at D2, 0.9% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 31 weeks, Jun 28, 2005 to Jan 24, 2006.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 21 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 10 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.