Drought in Reeves County, TX: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (37 wk), 2001 (48 wk), 2002 (40 wk), 2003 (35 wk), 2004 (13 wk), 2006 (19 wk), 2008 (19 wk), 2011 (52 wk), 2012 (33 wk), 2020 (30 wk), 2021 (27 wk), 2022 (34 wk), 2023 (24 wk), 2024 (53 wk) and 2025 (34 wk). Not a single drought week in 2005, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 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 May peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of TX

114th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Fayette County (5.8 in 10) and McLennan County (5.8 in 10). Driest in TX: Uvalde County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Jasper County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in May (53% of weeks), then Apr (50%) and Mar (48%). Least in Nov (24%). May to September averages 41%.

38 Jan
45 Feb
48 Mar
50 Apr
53 May
44 Jun
44 Jul
33 Aug
33 Sep
32 Oct
24 Nov
33 Dec

The worst year: 2011

2011: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 39.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 26.5% at D2, 12.6% at D3, 139 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 105 weeks, Jul 18, 2023 to Jul 15, 2025.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 34 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 26 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.