Drought in Taylor County, TX: 4.6 years in 10 since 2000

4.6 years in 10

Taylor County, TX: 12 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (37 wk), 2006 (47 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2009 (25 wk), 2011 (39 wk), 2012 (52 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (21 wk), 2019 (17 wk), 2022 (52 wk) and 2023 (35 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2016 and 2017.

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

Against the rest of TX

201st most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Callahan County (4.6 in 10) and Ochiltree County (4.6 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 Feb (47% of weeks), then Mar (45%) and Apr (41%). Least in Jul (27%). May to September averages 35%.

38 Jan
47 Feb
45 Mar
41 Apr
36 May
32 Jun
27 Jul
40 Aug
41 Sep
39 Oct
31 Nov
32 Dec

The worst year: 2022

2022: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 37.3% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 21.8% at D2, 5.1% at D3, 42 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 215 weeks, Apr 5, 2011 to May 12, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 35 weeks. 2016-2025: 3 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 18 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.