Drought in Ringgold County, IA: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Ringgold County, IA: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (38 wk), 2003 (45 wk), 2006 (29 wk), 2012 (24 wk), 2013 (35 wk), 2014 (14 wk), 2023 (16 wk) and 2024 (17 wk). Not a single drought week in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2025.

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

Against the rest of IA

84th most drought-prone of 99 IA counties; the IA middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Worth County (3.1 in 10) and Hardin County (3.1 in 10). Driest in IA: Wapello County (5.4 in 10). Least drought: Howard County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Jan (29% of weeks), then Dec (25%) and Nov (25%). Least in May (11%). May to September averages 14%.

29 Jan
23 Feb
24 Mar
20 Apr
11 May
12 Jun
14 Jul
15 Aug
16 Sep
22 Oct
25 Nov
25 Dec

The worst year: 2003

2003: 45 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 19.6% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 5.5% at D2, 1.9% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 40 weeks, Jul 17, 2012 to Apr 16, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 17 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 3.8 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 6 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.