Drought in Riley County, KS: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (23 wk), 2002 (23 wk), 2003 (21 wk), 2012 (30 wk), 2013 (18 wk), 2014 (16 wk), 2018 (28 wk), 2023 (27 wk) and 2024 (33 wk). Not a single drought week in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017 and 2019.

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

Against the rest of KS

95th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Osage County (3.5 in 10) and McPherson County (3.1 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 Dec (24% of weeks), then Oct (23%) and Aug (22%). Least in Jun (10%). May to September averages 15%.

21 Jan
17 Feb
13 Mar
18 Apr
10 May
10 Jun
15 Jul
22 Aug
16 Sep
23 Oct
21 Nov
24 Dec

The worst year: 2024

2024: 33 weeks in drought, peaking at D2 severe. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 17.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 7.4% at D2, 1.1% at D3, 1 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 48 weeks, Jun 5, 2012 to Apr 30, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 33 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 0 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.