Drought in Trego County, KS: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

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

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (17 wk), 2002 (40 wk), 2003 (43 wk), 2004 (25 wk), 2006 (26 wk), 2011 (48 wk), 2012 (30 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (35 wk), 2015 (15 wk), 2018 (15 wk), 2020 (16 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (52 wk) and 2024 (20 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 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 Apr peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of KS

24th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Hodgeman County (5.8 in 10) and Phillips County (5.8 in 10). Driest in KS: Morton County (6.9 in 10). Least drought: Dickinson County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (47% of weeks), then May (44%) and Mar (40%). Least in Nov (31%). May to September averages 38%.

33 Jan
39 Feb
40 Mar
47 Apr
44 May
39 Jun
32 Jul
36 Aug
36 Sep
36 Oct
31 Nov
32 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 37% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 22% at D2, 8.3% at D3, 113 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 118 weeks, Jun 5, 2012 to Sep 2, 2014.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 20 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 12 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.