Drought in Saline County, KS: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2011 (28 wk), 2012 (31 wk), 2013 (19 wk), 2014 (32 wk), 2018 (34 wk), 2022 (16 wk), 2023 (38 wk) and 2024 (28 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016 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 Apr, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of KS

103rd most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Chase County (3.1 in 10) and Morris 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 Apr (28% of weeks), then Aug (26%) and May (24%). Least in Nov (13%). May to September averages 22%.

18 Jan
17 Feb
20 Mar
28 Apr
24 May
18 Jun
18 Jul
26 Aug
22 Sep
19 Oct
13 Nov
14 Dec

The worst year: 2023

2023: 38 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 19.9% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 10.6% at D2, 2.1% at D3, 13 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 61 weeks, Apr 11, 2023 to Jun 4, 2024.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 28 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 2.5 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 3 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.