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

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (36 wk), 2003 (18 wk), 2004 (19 wk), 2006 (35 wk), 2008 (33 wk), 2009 (16 wk), 2011 (44 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (20 wk), 2018 (26 wk), 2021 (13 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2023 (23 wk). Not a single drought week in 2010, 2019, 2024 and 2025.

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

110th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Kent County (5.8 in 10) and Wheeler 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 Mar (53% of weeks), then Apr (49%) and Jun (48%). Least in Sep (26%). May to September averages 39%.

43 Jan
44 Feb
53 Mar
49 Apr
48 May
48 Jun
39 Jul
32 Aug
26 Sep
29 Oct
31 Nov
40 Dec

The worst year: 2012

2012: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 40.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 29.3% at D2, 14.9% at D3, 157 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 219 weeks, Mar 15, 2011 to May 19, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 23 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 6.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 33 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.