Drought in Wallace County, KS: 6.5 years in 10 since 2000

6.5 years in 10

Wallace County, KS: 17 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (40 wk), 2003 (42 wk), 2004 (31 wk), 2006 (33 wk), 2008 (17 wk), 2011 (24 wk), 2012 (32 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (18 wk), 2017 (13 wk), 2018 (22 wk), 2020 (34 wk), 2021 (24 wk), 2022 (52 wk), 2023 (22 wk) and 2024 (20 wk). Not a single drought week in 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2019 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 Apr peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of KS

9th most drought-prone of 105 KS counties; the KS middle is 4.2 in 10. Closest on the list: Sheridan County (6.5 in 10) and Stevens County (6.2 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 (50% of weeks), then May (49%) and Mar (45%). Least in Nov (34%). May to September averages 42%.

39 Jan
40 Feb
45 Mar
50 Apr
49 May
44 Jun
42 Jul
38 Aug
37 Sep
36 Oct
34 Nov
39 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 41.1% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 23.5% at D2, 11.6% at D3, 62 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 153 weeks, Jun 5, 2012 to May 5, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 20 weeks. 2016-2025: 7 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 23 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.