Drought in Schleicher County, TX: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

Schleicher County, TX: 14 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (42 wk), 2001 (13 wk), 2006 (44 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2008 (38 wk), 2009 (16 wk), 2011 (52 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (51 wk), 2014 (21 wk), 2018 (27 wk), 2019 (19 wk), 2022 (48 wk) and 2023 (37 wk). Not a single drought week in 2004, 2005, 2016 and 2021.

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 Mar peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of TX

148th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Jim Wells County (5.4 in 10) and Clay County (5.4 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 Mar (45% of weeks), then Oct (43%) and Apr (42%). Least in Dec (33%). May to September averages 38%.

34 Jan
39 Feb
45 Mar
42 Apr
38 May
36 Jun
40 Jul
40 Aug
38 Sep
43 Oct
37 Nov
33 Dec

The worst year: 2011

2011: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 38.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 21.3% at D2, 9.6% at D3, 50 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 163 weeks, Nov 9, 2010 to Dec 17, 2013.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 37 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 8 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.