Drought in Thurston County, NE: 2.7 years in 10 since 2000

2.7 years in 10

Thurston County, NE: 7 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (52 wk), 2012 (36 wk), 2013 (41 wk), 2020 (26 wk), 2022 (47 wk), 2023 (52 wk) and 2024 (26 wk). Not a single drought week in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

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

This is one step drier than the yearly count alone suggests, because 28% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (4 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (1.9 in 10).

Against the rest of NE

92nd most drought-prone of 93 NE counties; the NE middle is 5 in 10. Closest on the list: Burt County (3.1 in 10) and Cuming County (2.7 in 10). Driest in NE: Banner County (6.5 in 10). Least drought: Cuming County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Aug (38% of weeks), then Jan (33%) and Feb (31%). Least in Jun (16%). May to September averages 28%.

33 Jan
31 Feb
22 Mar
21 Apr
23 May
16 Jun
31 Jul
38 Aug
31 Sep
25 Oct
27 Nov
26 Dec

The worst year: 2023

2023: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 26.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 13.9% at D2, 7.2% at D3, 79 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 111 weeks, Feb 8, 2022 to Mar 19, 2024.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 26 weeks. 2016-2025: 4 in 10, against 1.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 19 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.