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

4.6 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2003 (14 wk), 2005 (32 wk), 2006 (48 wk), 2011 (38 wk), 2012 (29 wk), 2013 (21 wk), 2016 (15 wk), 2017 (27 wk), 2018 (18 wk), 2022 (27 wk), 2023 (15 wk) and 2024 (18 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2007, 2008, 2020 and 2025.

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 Oct 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

45th most drought-prone of 77 OK counties; the OK middle is 4.6 in 10. Closest on the list: Washington County (4.6 in 10) and Logan County (4.2 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 Oct (43% of weeks), then Sep (41%) and Nov (36%). Least in May (12%). May to September averages 26%.

28 Jan
24 Feb
19 Mar
17 Apr
12 May
17 Jun
26 Jul
33 Aug
41 Sep
43 Oct
36 Nov
26 Dec

The worst year: 2006

2006: 48 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 26.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 13.7% at D2, 6.4% at D3, 36 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 62 weeks, Sep 27, 2005 to Nov 28, 2006.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 18 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 22 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.