Drought in Tom Green County, TX: 5.4 years in 10 since 2000

5.4 years in 10

Tom Green 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), 2006 (44 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2008 (18 wk), 2009 (20 wk), 2011 (49 wk), 2012 (40 wk), 2013 (38 wk), 2014 (21 wk), 2018 (22 wk), 2019 (20 wk), 2020 (14 wk), 2022 (50 wk) and 2023 (26 wk). Not a single drought week in 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 Mar peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of TX

164th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Wise County (5.4 in 10) and Washington 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 Aug (45%) and Apr (41%). Least in Dec (22%). May to September averages 38%.

28 Jan
37 Feb
45 Mar
41 Apr
34 May
31 Jun
39 Jul
45 Aug
39 Sep
29 Oct
23 Nov
22 Dec

The worst year: 2022

2022: 50 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 34.4% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 18.8% at D2, 7.1% at D3, 47 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 64 weeks, Feb 22, 2011 to May 8, 2012.

Lately

Last drought year: 2023, 26 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 9 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.